CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Northwestern women's golf standouts Hannah Kim, Stephanie Lau and Janet Mao have been selected to compete in the 2017 U.S. Women's Amateur Championships at the San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif., August 7-13, competing against a field of 156 players.
2017 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship - LIVE LEADERBOARD
Kim, the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, earned an exempt spot by virtue of her No. 24 position in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings. The rising senior has already become a fixture in the Northwestern record books, currently holding program records for lowest scoring average (72.99), lowest single-season scoring average (71.94), lowest 18-hole score (64 at the 2016 Hurricane Invitational) and lowest 54-hole score (199 at the 2016 Hurricane Invitational).
"Chula Vista is where everything started," said Kim, who will be competing this year in her home town. "Growing up on municipal golf courses, San Diego Country Club was always a hidden gem for me. I can't wait to be playing at a golf course I've been longing to play on."
Kim won her second consecutive Mary Fossum Award this season, given annually to the Big Ten's best performer relative to par, and picked up her third consecutive First Team All-Big Ten recognition. The now two-time All-American was the only Conference golfer on Golfweek's three All-America squads.
Lau was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016, when she held the second-lowest single-season scoring average (72.13) in program history, and the best-ever by a rookie. A native of Fullerton, Calif., Lau was also named First Team All-Big Ten, WGCA Second Team All-American and Golfweek Third Team All-American as a freshman.
"Handling the nerves with playing such a great golf course and the prestige of this tournament will be a challenge," said Lau, who last competed in the U.S. Am. in 2014. "But I want to put my game to the test and so that's what makes me excited."
In her sophomore campaign, Lau posted a Top-5 finish at the World University Championships in Brive-La-Gaillarde, France, and finished 12th at the Mason Rudolph Championships.
Mao was named Second Team All-Big Ten as a freshman, while also earning recognition as a WGCA All-American Scholar and Shoal Creek NCAA Regional champion. She will be competing in her third U.S. Am., having previously competed in 2014 at Nassau Country Club and 2016 at Rolling Green Country Club.
"It's always one of my goals to qualify for the championship, so I'm very excited to have the opportunity to compete in it," said Mao, who earned her spot at a local qualifier in June. "It is one of the biggest events for women's amateur golf, and it being our national championship is really special."
Last season, the Johns Creek Ga., native contributed to a Top-3 result for the Wildcats at the Mason Rudolph Championship, and advanced to match play at the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Rolling Green (PA) Golf Club.
Play begins with 18 holes of stroke play on Monday, August 7, and another 18 on Tuesday, August 8. From those 36 holes, the Top-64 entrants move on to match play, with one round on Wednesday, two on Thursday, quarterfinals on Friday, semifinals on Saturday, and a 36-hole championship match on Sunday, August 13. Fox Sports 1 (FS1) will air live coverage of portions of all five days of match play.
2017 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship - LIVE LEADERBOARD
Kim, the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, earned an exempt spot by virtue of her No. 24 position in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings. The rising senior has already become a fixture in the Northwestern record books, currently holding program records for lowest scoring average (72.99), lowest single-season scoring average (71.94), lowest 18-hole score (64 at the 2016 Hurricane Invitational) and lowest 54-hole score (199 at the 2016 Hurricane Invitational).
"Chula Vista is where everything started," said Kim, who will be competing this year in her home town. "Growing up on municipal golf courses, San Diego Country Club was always a hidden gem for me. I can't wait to be playing at a golf course I've been longing to play on."
Kim won her second consecutive Mary Fossum Award this season, given annually to the Big Ten's best performer relative to par, and picked up her third consecutive First Team All-Big Ten recognition. The now two-time All-American was the only Conference golfer on Golfweek's three All-America squads.
Lau was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016, when she held the second-lowest single-season scoring average (72.13) in program history, and the best-ever by a rookie. A native of Fullerton, Calif., Lau was also named First Team All-Big Ten, WGCA Second Team All-American and Golfweek Third Team All-American as a freshman.
"Handling the nerves with playing such a great golf course and the prestige of this tournament will be a challenge," said Lau, who last competed in the U.S. Am. in 2014. "But I want to put my game to the test and so that's what makes me excited."
In her sophomore campaign, Lau posted a Top-5 finish at the World University Championships in Brive-La-Gaillarde, France, and finished 12th at the Mason Rudolph Championships.
Mao was named Second Team All-Big Ten as a freshman, while also earning recognition as a WGCA All-American Scholar and Shoal Creek NCAA Regional champion. She will be competing in her third U.S. Am., having previously competed in 2014 at Nassau Country Club and 2016 at Rolling Green Country Club.
"It's always one of my goals to qualify for the championship, so I'm very excited to have the opportunity to compete in it," said Mao, who earned her spot at a local qualifier in June. "It is one of the biggest events for women's amateur golf, and it being our national championship is really special."
Last season, the Johns Creek Ga., native contributed to a Top-3 result for the Wildcats at the Mason Rudolph Championship, and advanced to match play at the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Rolling Green (PA) Golf Club.
Play begins with 18 holes of stroke play on Monday, August 7, and another 18 on Tuesday, August 8. From those 36 holes, the Top-64 entrants move on to match play, with one round on Wednesday, two on Thursday, quarterfinals on Friday, semifinals on Saturday, and a 36-hole championship match on Sunday, August 13. Fox Sports 1 (FS1) will air live coverage of portions of all five days of match play.
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