A good year has gotten better for Sara Im, a junior at Lambert High School. Im, who last month was part of the team that won the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball title, earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open.
Im shot 70-69 to finish at 5 under in the 36-hole qualifier at Dunwoody Country Club on Monday. Im was one stroke behind LPGA player Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland and earned a silver medal for being low amateur. The two alternate spots went to professionals Natalie Srinivasan and Katelyn Sisk, both of South Carolina.
Atlanta’s Amanda Doherty won the qualifier at Fox Run Golf Club in St. Louis. Doherty shot a 137 to earn one of four spots at that site. Doherty graduated from The Galloway School, had a successful career at Florida State, qualified for the first Augusta National Women’s Amateur and currently is a rookie on the LPGA Tour.
The U.S. Women’s Open is scheduled June 2-5 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
Three men’s teams in NCAA regionals
Three teams from Georgia are participating in the NCAA regionals, which start Monday at six sites around the country. The top five teams and the low individual at each site not on one of those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships, May 27 to June 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
No. 11-ranked Georgia Tech is the No. 2 seed in the Columbus Regional at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course. Oklahoma State, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, is the top-seeded team. The Yellow Jackets finished second in the ACC Tournament, losing to North Carolina when the final match went extra holes.
No. 13-ranked Georgia is the No. 3 team in the Bryan (Texas) Regional at the Traditions Club. No. 6-ranked Pepperdine is the top seed, with host Texas A&M the No. 2 seed. The Bulldogs reached the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament before losing to Florida.
Georgia Southern, ranked No. 49, is the No. 8 seed in the New Haven (Conn.) Regional, held at the Yale Golf Course. No. 5-ranked North Carolina is the top seed there. The Eagles finished second in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, losing in the final to Arkansas-Little Rock.
Credit: Ross Obley
Credit: Ross Obley
Three Yellow Jackets on All-ACC team
Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht, Bartley Forrester and Connor Howe have been named to the All-ACC men’s golf team.
Lamprecht and Forrester both made the team automatically based on their national ranking. Lamprecht, a sophomore from South Africa, is ranked No. 28 on Golfstat and No. 25 on Golfweek/Sagarin. Forrester, a junior from Gainesville, is No. 85 on Golfstat and No. 69 on Golfweek/Sagarin. Howe, a junior, was chosen via a vote of the league’s 12 coaches.
North Carolina’s David Ford of Peachtree Corners was named to the All-ACC team and voted Freshman of the Year.
Suggs-Mason team wins Senior-Junior title
Hunter Suggs from Chimney Oaks and James Mason from The Orchard shot an 11-under 61 to win the Georgia PGA’s Senior Junior Championship at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta.
Robert Graham and Micah Woods of Piedmont Driving Club finished one shot back at 10 under.
Tied for third at 9 under were former Georgia State coach Joe Inman and Dan Merriman of the Atlanta Country Club, and the duo of Nick Bailes of the Country Club of the South and Glen Harrell of Doublegate Country Club.
Steel Canyon adds Toptracer Range
Steel Canyon Golf Club in Sandy Springs just enhanced its reputation for being one of the best practice areas in the city. The course has added Toptracer Range, a practice tool that allows a golfer to track yardage, carry distance, ball speed, launch angle, shot trajectory, curve angle, height and hang time.
Toptracer Range also can be used for fun. It has the option to play interactive games and simulate some of the famous courses in the world, including Pebble Beach, St. Andrews and Torrey Pines.
Five Georgians in U.S. Four-Ball field
Five Georgians will compete in the seventh U.S. Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham, Ala. The top 32 teams in the 128-team field after two stroke-play rounds will advance to match play.
The Georgia team consists of Tyler McKeever of Atlanta and Steven Groover of Birmingham, Carter Loflin of Duluth and Wells Williams of West Point, Miss., Chad Branton of Cartersville and Kyle Hosick of Calhoun, and Ryan Smith of Eatonton and Cameron Huss of Kenosha, Wis.
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