Mariah Stackhouse and Reilley Rankin are golfers at different points in their careers, but each accomplished the same goal on Monday at Druid Hills Golf Club: qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open.
Stackhouse, a 17-year-old amateur who is finishing her junior year at North Clayton High School, won one of the three berths by beating Kendall Martindale in a sudden-death playoff with a par on the par-5 18th. Stackhouse shot 75-71.
Rankin, a former Georgia playerand LPGA tour veteran, won a spot by shooting 74-71 to tie for the lowest score in the sectional qualifier.
Whitney Wade, another former Georgia player and a one-time Kentucky amateur champion, took the other spot, shooting 72-73.
All three will play at the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 7-10. Stackhouse, flanked by her beaming parents Ken and Sharon, said it was the biggest moment in her young career.
“I just qualified for the biggest event in women’s pro golf,” said Stackhouse, who hasn’t been able to play the previous three weeks because of an inflammation in her wrist; she just started practicing again on Friday. “I wanted to do it before I went to college, and I did it.”
Rankin knows something about injuries. She suffered a broken back in college while diving from a rock at an Alabama lake. The injury required two years of rehabilitation but she bounced back to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA championship.
Back then she said she could just step on the tee box and hit the ball. She since has become a bit of a tinkerer with her swing. Sometimes the changes work; too often they haven’t. But she’s had other things to worry about.
Her mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, and now appears to have beaten it. Worrying about her mom, Rankin missed 10 cuts last season, her worst mark since she became a pro.
Two tips from her caddy for Monday’s event, Randall Couch, led to her success.
Couch, who recently retired as the professional at Druid Hills, noticed during a practice round on Sunday that Rankin wasn’t getting into an athletic position in her backswing. She kept asking him to share anything he saw. After nine holes of tinkering and trying different things, Couch spoke up. He told her to go deeper with the club. She began taking her backswing more around her body and started hitting the ball better.
During Monday’s first round, he reminded her that she’s a great player, which gave her something positive to focus on.
Dissatisfied with her putting on the first 18, Rankin made a tweak on the first hole in the second round and the ball started rolling more true. She said she wasn’t satisfied with her game on Monday, but it was good enough to get her into her third U.S. Open.
“I don’t know what it is but I’m learning more,” she said.
U.S. Women’s Open
When: July 7-10
Where: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Entrants: Players can qualify for the tournament through one of several exemptions or by qualifying through one of 20 sectionals held around the country.
