Sundre, Alta. – Kelli Ann Strand secured top spot while Lauren Kim emerged from a playoff to both earn direct exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship through the U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifier held at The Sundre Golf Club in Sundre, Alta. on Monday.
Strand, of Challis, Idaho shot a 3-under 69 to earn Medalist honours. Strand recorded three birdies on the front nine to get off to a strong start and held on to take the top spot in Monday’s qualifier. Strand, a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers Women’s Golf team, earned second-team All-Big Ten honours and won the Green Wave Classic in her freshman year this past season.
Kim, of Surrey, B.C. outlasted Leah John in a six-hole playoff to secure the second exemption after shooting a 2-under 70. She recorded three straight birdies on 14 through 16 and closed off her round with a pair of pars to get into the playoff. Kim is a member of Golf Canada’s National Team Program and attends the University of Texas. This past weekend, she placed T3 at the 2023 Digital Commerce Bank Glencoe Invitational in Calgary.
John will be the first alternate and Tiffany Kong of Vancouver is the second alternate. Monday’s field at The Sundre Golf Club featured 23 golfers from Canada and the United States competing for two direct exemptions. The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship runs from August 7-13 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles with a field of 156 competitors.
For the full leaderboard from today’s qualifier click here.