Megan Thothong
WACO, Texas — A pair of University of Houston
Cougars set the pace Monday during
the Qualifying Round of the 94th WTGA State
Amateur Championship at scenic
Ridgewood Country Club.
Megan Thothong, an 18-year-old UH sophomore
from Dallas, posted 4-under-par 68
to take medalist honors during the first round’s
18-hole Qualifying Round. Her
teammate Emily Gilbreth, a 20-year-old junior,
shot 3-under 69 to finish as the
runner-up. Led by Thothong and Gilbreth, the
Houston Women’s Golf team finished
13th at the NCAA Regionals this year in the
program’s first full season of existence.
“Our coach Gerrod Chadwell says ‘Iron sharpens
iron,’” said Thothong, who made an
eagle and three birdies to offset a lone bogey.
“This is great for our team. It shows
that we’re still working hard on our games in the
offseason.”
Thothong knocked a hybrid to 5 feet and rolled
in the eagle putt on the 430-yard
par-5 15th hole after sinking birdies on the
ninth, 11th and 12th holes. Her only
bogey came on the 383-yard, par-4 16th.
“I feel pretty good,” Thothong said. “I had the
mindset of going out and going as low
as possible. I’m excited for the rest of the week
because I love match play.”
Gilbreth was 1-under through 17 holes when she
threaded a hybrid to 3 feet on
Ridgewood’s 533-yard par-5 finishing hole. She
tapped in the eagle putt and became
the clubhouse leader at 3-under. That lasted
about 15 minutes—until Thothong
posted her 68.
“I’ve known Megan since I was 8 years old,” said
Gilbreth, who was the first to sign
a letter of intent with the UH Women’s Golf team
in 2012. “This is the third or fourth
time she’s done that to me. But I wouldn’t have
it any other way. I love her, and
this says a lot about our team.”
TCU junior Kelly McGovern finished in third place
at 2-under 70. The Woodlands
native finished as the runner-up to Portland
Rosen in the 93rd WTGA State Am. A
third member of the UH Women’s Golf team,
Maddy Rayner from Southlake,
finished tied for fourth with three others in the
Qualifying Round.
In all, the top 32 players qualified for the
Championship Flight in the 94th WTGA
State Amateur’s subsequent match play bracket.
Kristin Glesne, a freshman at Iowa
from San Antonio, and Grace Choi, a freshman
at Michigan from Dallas, survived a
six-hole, seven-way playoff for the 31st and
32nd spots, respectively, in the
coveted Championship Flight.
The remaining competitors in the 90-player filed
enter one of four other flights
based on each player’s GHIN Handicap Index.
The first round of match play begins
Tuesday at 8 a.m. at Ridgewood CC.
Carolyn Creekmore, the 2004 U.S. Senior
Women’s Amateur champion from Dallas,
earned the Senior Medalist honors. The 2010
Texas Golf Hall of Fame inductee shot
4-over 76 for a share of 17th place overall.
Creekmore won the 1995 WTGA State
Amateur at the Woodlands CC.
Annika Clark from Highlands, a freshman at
TCU, won the Junior Medalist honors for
players under the age of 17 by the tournament’s
start. Clark, who celebrates her
18th birthday on Tuesday, shot 2-over 74 for
11th place.
Seven players broke par in the Qualifying Round
on the 6,061-yard, par-72
Ridgewood CC course. On a sun-soaked day with
90-degree temperatures and slight
breezes, Ridgewood CC played to a stroke
average of 81.3. Thirty-one universities
and colleges are represented in the field this
week, including six from the Big 12
Conference.
This is the fifth time Ridgewood has hosted the
WTGA State Amateur, dating back to
1957. It last hosted the state’s oldest women’s
amateur championship in 2009, when
Huntsville’s Stacy Dennis won her second
Amateur title. Dennis, now Managing
Director for the TGA, is part of the leadership
staff that is conducting this year’s
WTGA State Amateur.
Established in 1947, Ridgewood sits on a
beautiful piece of rolling, wooded land that
overlooks Lake Waco. With small, pushed-up
greens and tree-lined fairways,
Ridgewood looks once again to be a welcoming
host and demanding test for the best
amateurs in Texas.
View results for Women's Texas Amateur
ABOUT THE Women's Texas Amateur
Eligibility: Entries are open to female amateur
golfers with a certified GHIN Handicap index.
Player Field: Lowest handicap indexes in multiples of
8 with a maximum of 88 players. In the event the
championship becomes over-subscribed, entries will
be accepted in order of handicap index.
Format: The starting field will consist of 88 total
players. The 32 players with the lowest qualifying
scores will fill the championship flight and contend
for the championship title. The qualifying round is
optional for all but the players with the 32 lowest
handicap indexes on the date the entries close. The
16 players eliminated in the first round of the
championship flight match play may participate in an
18-hole stroke play consolation round. The remaining
players will be flighted into seven flights of eight
based on handicap indexes. The four players
eliminated in the first round of flight matches will
proceed to a consolation match play bracket for each
flight.
View Complete Tournament Information