Red Wing's Yoemans One of Four to Qualify for U.S. Girls' Junior Championship

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  HASTINGS, Minn. – A string a three consecutive birdies on her back nine helped Elle Nachmann card a 6-under par 66 Thursday at Emerald Greens Golf Course to earn medalist honors as well as a spot in the 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship.

A field 42 players braved wet conditions in hopes of claiming one of the four qualifying spots to this year’s national championship, which will be played July 24-29 at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo.

Thailand’s Mikhaela Fortuna fired a 70 to earn a qualifying spot, while Red Wing, Minn., native Sophia Yoemans and Iowan Emily Snelling grabbed the final two spots after both shot rounds of 71.

“I wanted to shoot par today. Last year in Florida a 74 got in and this was one of the tougher ones I’ve played,” Nachmann said after qualifying Thursday. “Under is going to get in today and 72 is a playoff for alternates and not get in, so that’s surprising.

“I had a bogey-free round and that hasn’t happened in a long time. I’m used to these conditions in Florida, especially in the summer because it rains a lot.”

Taking advantage of two of the three par-5’s on the front side Thursday, Nachmann had short birdie putts and would turn at 2-under before getting a big swing in momentum by carding three straight birdies beginning at the 11th.

Converting one final birdie at the par-4 17th for good measure, Nachmann recorded a 6-under par 66 to earn medalist honors.

“I’m a longer hitter so on the par-5’s I was getting up-and-down for birdie,” she said. “I birdied 17, which is one of the harder holes, and on 18 I just lipped out for birdie, which would’ve been 65.”

A week after her 14th birthday, Thursday’s qualifier was Nachmann’s first time qualifying for a USGA event as an individual.

“This is really exciting—I just want to do my best and shoot par and I’ll be happy,” she said.

At the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nachmann and partner Dana Williams finished the first two rounds of qualifying tied for 19th at 140 to qualify for the match play portion of the championship before falling during the opening round.

Carding back-to-back rounds of 73 last week at Bunker Hills Golf Club, Yoemans earned a share of the Minnesota State Girls Class AAA individual title to cap off an impressive sophomore season for Red Wing.

On Thursday Yoemans made 12 consecutive pars before knocking her approach to 10 feet above the pin, rolling in birdie to get to 1-under.

“I wasn’t frustrated necessarily because par is a good score, but after so many pars I was wondering when I was going to make a putt. I knew it was a tough field—there are a lot of really great players."

She gave back a shot with a bogey at the 15th, but made a critical five-footer at the 17th to save par and remain even for the day. Yoemans’ second shot on the final hole stopped pin-high and 20 feet from the cup, but she would sink her birdie chance to finish the day at 1-under par 71 to qualify for her first USGA championship.

“Today I was really steady—on the front I made nine pars,” Yoemans said. “I was just hitting greens and two-putting. My driver was really good early but on the back started going more crooked. My wedges kind of kept me going and I made two good putts on the last two holes.

“It’s really exciting to qualify and trying for a couple years. I just want to take it one shot at a time. I’m not expecting anything because I’ve never been there.”

Tunrada Piddon, of Thailand, and Abby Cavaiani, from Wales, Wis., finished as first and second alternates, respectively, after both carded rounds of 72.