Women's Public Links Includes Zags Past and Present
7/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
DuPONT, Wash. - The past and present of Gonzaga University women's golf will tee off Monday in the 38th and final Women's Amateur Public Links Championship (WAPL) at The Home Course located northeast of Olympia off I-5.
Gonzaga senior-to-be Alice Kim and junior-to-be Raychelle Santos are the current Zags in the field of 156. Current assistant coach Victoria Fallgren and 2014 senior Tai Jade 'TJ' Kliebphipat will represent the past.
Santos, who tees off Monday at 8:44 a.m. on the first hole, earned an automatic spot in this year's field after advancing to the match play semifinals a year ago which included a victory over then-incoming Gonzaga freshman Ciera Min. Kim, who qualified with an even-par 72 at the Ewa Beach Golf Club located near Waikiki, will be in her second WAPL after not advancing into match play a year ago. She tees off at 7:51 a.m. Monday on the 10th hole.
Fallgren is the WAPL veteran for the Bulldogs as this will be her third appearance since 2010. She was the first alternate in qualifying at The Home Course after shooting a 76, but was notified Thursday she had made the field. She tees off at 1:02 p.m. Monday on the first hole. She fell in the second round of match play in 2010 and lost in the first round of match play in 2012.
Kliebphipat played in back-to-back WAPLs in 2011 and 2012. She lost in a playoff for the final match play spot in 2011 and suffered a heartbreaking loss in the second round of match play in 2012 and she led by three holes with four to play. She qualified with a 75 at Goose Creek Golf Club in Mira Loma, Calif. She will tee off at 9:36 a.m. Monday on the first hole.
Defending champion Lauren Diaz-Yi is back to defend her title.
The 156 competitors will play two days of stroke play competition Monday and Tuesday with the top 64 advancing to match play beginning Wednesday. The 38th and final tournament concludes with a 36-hole championship July 19.
"This championship was created because the U.S. Women's Amateur was basically for players who belonged to private courses," said Rhonda Glenn, manager of USGA communications. "This tournament was an opportunity to embrace more people into the game and give them a national championship. In the past 20 years, they have decided to make the Women's Amateur also open. So it's no longer for private course players. Most of the players here are also going to play in the U.S. Women's Open Amateur. So it was like a duplication of effort."
The USGA will replace the WAPL with a best-ball team championship.
To follow this year's WAPL click here.
