Chinese Teenager Claims Co-Medallist Honours

Puget Sound, Washington, United States: At the ripe old age of 13 years and six months, China’s Alice Zhou Ziyi has written her name into the record books as the youngest medalist/co-medallist in US Women’s Amateur history.

Zhao, who is the second-youngest player in the field, followed up her opening-round 67 with a four-under 69 at Chambers Bay. With a two-day total of 10-under 136, the lowest score in relation to par in championship history, Zhao finished the stroke play section atop the leaderboard alongside Americans Latanna Stone and Laney Frye.

“I had a couple of mistakes, but otherwise I played pretty solid,” said Zhao, who will face-off against American Camryn Carreon in the Round of 64 when the match play segment commences on Wednesday.

“I really like match play, so hopefully I can put together another couple good rounds,” added Zhao, who was born in Shenyang, China, and now lives in Irvine, California.

Zhao is one of 13 Asia-Pacific representatives to progress from stroke play to the knockout match play stage.

In-form Kelsey Bennett, runner-up in last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, tied for fourth on 139 while her fellow-Australian Maddison Hinson-Tolchard shared seventh spot on 140.

In the first round of match play, both have been drawn against mainland China players. Hinson-Tolchard takes on Guo Yixian while Bennett faces Li Jieni, who qualified from an eight-for-four play-off to determine the final match play spots.

Hinson-Tolchard is loving the course. She said: “It's a pretty wicked place, to be honest. You can't get over the view. You just look out and you're amazed by it. It's a cool place. I'm really enjoying playing around it.”

Also qualifying were Thai Taglao Jeeravivitaporn (tied seventh, 140), Chinese Taipei’s Yu Han-hsuan (tied 16th, 143), Japan’s Nika Ito and New Zealander Fiona Xu (both tied 26th, 146) and the Japanese trio of Saki Baba, Sera Hasegawa and Tsubasa Kajitani (all tied 34th, 147).

Kajitani, number six in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and winner of last year’s inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, will face American Kynadie Adams in the Round of 64.

Completing the contingent of Asia-Pacific players through to match play are Korean Park Bo-hyun (tied 46th, 148), Guo (tied 53rd, 149), Li (tied 61st, 150).

Tomi Arejola and Rianne Mikhaela Malixi of the Philippines suffered the agony of missing out by one shot, finishing in a share of 69th place on 151, while their compatriot Nicole Abelar was tied for 76th on 152.

Australian Justice Bosio and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Hsin-tai (both tied 89th, 153), Malaysian Audrey Tan (tied 103rd, 154), Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ching-tzu (tied 131st, 157) and Thai Tunrada Piddon (tied 139th, 159) all failed to progress.