Global Golf Post - August 15, 2011

Band Of Sisters
Kang’s Rare USGA Double

Danielle Kang successfully defended
her U.S. Women’s Amateur title – the
first player to do so in 15 years – de-
molishing Moriya Jutanugarn Sunday.
Kang, 18, of Westlake Village,
Calif., was brilliant in her title defense,
playing the 31 holes of this scheduled
36-hole final in 10-under par at Rhode
Island Country Club. Kang won the
2010 Women’s Amateur, defeating
Jessica Korda in
the final at Char-
lotte Country Club.
Kang is now
expected to
turn profes-
sional and
seek playing
privileges on
the LPGA Tour.
“If I win, I am
pretty convinced
that I am ready
to go (pro),” Kang
had said Saturday
evening. “It would
be three amateur
(victories) in a
row for me going back to last year’s
(Women’s) Amateur.”
Kang built an early lead, making
three straight birdies beginning at the
par- 4 third and led by as much as 6-up
after 13 holes. Jutanugarn, 17, of Thai-
land, got a couple of holes back and
Kang led, 4-up, after the first 18.
Kang shot 6-under 64 on the
par-70 course in the morning 18 to
build the 4-up lead and was 4 under
through 13 holes in the afternoon to
close out the match.
Jutanugarn got as close as
3-down in the afternoon with a birdie
at the par- 3 fifth, but Kang birdied
the sixth to get back to 4-up and the
lead never diminished from there.
Kang was quick to credit local
chiropractor Dr. Ellen McNally with
a major save. After re-aggravating a
rib injury on the third hole of Friday’s
quarterfinal win, Kang was able to
contact McNally through the family
hosting her and her father this week.
After Maura Rogers made several
phone calls, they found McNally, who
agreed to meet Kang at her office
in East Providence at 9 p.m. and
was able to relieve the tension from
Kang’s shoulders and ribs.

BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND | The
Jutanugarn sisters reversed roles at
the U.S. Women’s Amateur but just fell
short of the desired result.
Ariya and Moriya, from Thailand,
both competed in the Women’s Ama-
teur at Rhode Island Country Club but
15-year-old Ariya was eliminated in the
second round of match play. She took
over as 17-year-old Mariya’s caddie, in
charge of her push cart and calculating
yardages. The team reached the final
before losing to Danielle Kang, 6 and 5.
Ariya won the U.S. Girls’ Junior two
weeks ago and Moriya was her caddie,
after not competing because of injury.
of the Amateur when Tubert failed to
advance through stroke-play qualify-
ing. Ernst reached the semifinals with
a 5 and 4 victory over Curtis Cup player
Stephanie Kono, of Honolulu.
When Austin Ernst lost to Moriya Ju-
tanugarn in the semifinals, she ended
her quest for a rare feat. She was trying
to become the first player in nearly 20
years to be the NCAA Division I indi-
vidual champion and the U.S. Women’s
Amateur champion.
Ernst, 19, of Seneca, S.C., won the
NCAA title for LSU this year, giving the
school a double. John Peterson of LSU
won the men’s NCAA individual title this
spring.
Ernst had good friend Emily Tubert
on the bag for the match-play portion
Lydia Ko, 14, of New Zealand, and
Jihee Kim, 17, of Korea, shared stroke-
play honors at 7-under-par 136 in the
U.S. Women’s Amateur at the 6,399-
yard, par-71 Rhode Island Country Club.
Ko made eight birdies on her way
to a second-round 66 on Tuesday. Kim
slipped a bit from her opening 66 with a
1-under-par 70, but still matched Ko’s
36-hole total. Ko is little-known out-
side of New Zealand. She gained notice
from the Women’s World Amateur Golf
Ranking, supported by The R&A and the
USGA, which gave her the No. 1 ranking
among female amateurs.
The Country Club of Charleston has
been selected by the USGA to host the
2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champi-
onship. The dates of the championship
will be Aug. 5-11. The Country Club
of Charleston was designed by Seth
Raynor and opened in 1925. l
Staff and Wire Reports
Staff and Wire Reports