BARRINGTON, RI — LSU’s Austin Ernst easily advanced through qualifying Tuesday to advance to the round of 64 match play in the United States Women’s Amateur Championship at the Rhode Island Country Club.
Ernst, the NCAA D1 Women’s Champion, fired a second consecutive round of even par 71 to complete the qualifying at 142, good enough for a tie for 10th place with seven other golfers. The individual medalist was Jilee Kim of Korea who had a one under 70 on Tuesday to finish at six under par 136.
The cut for the field of 64 match play came at seven-over par 149. Five players went back to the 15th hole looking for the 64th spot and heed advanced to the 16th hole as darkness approached. Elysse Smidinger parted the hole to win the playoff and the final spot
Ernst again scored better on the front nine which she played Tuesday as her final nine holes. The Seneca, S.C. native turned at two over but was able to get it back to even early on the front side and the LSU sophomore to be was never in danger of not advancing to the first round of match play which will culminate Sunday in the championship match.
In her opening match Wednesday, Ernst will face Sally Watson of Scotland in a match that will go at 11:40 a.m. which could put it in the television window for Golf Channel’s coverage which begins at 2 p.m. Watson is a sophomore to be at Stanford and has played twice for Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup.