Kennedy Knox of Normandy Park, Wash. won the 28th Washington Women’s Amateur;
Jacqueline Bendrick of Mercer Island hung on to win the 12th Women’s Mid-Amateur; Susan Craven of Snohomish shot rounds of 76-76 to win the 22nd Washington Senior Women’s Amateur; while Karen Madison of Spokane Valley won the 8th Super Senior Women’s Amateur in a playoff.
The four championships were held concurrently by Washington Golf (WA Golf) at the par-71 Fairwood Golf and Country Club in Renton, Wash. The Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur championships were contested over 54 holes of stroke play, while the Senior and Super Senior championships consisted of 36 holes of stroke play.
Knox shot solid rounds of 71-71-71, even par every day, in winning the Women’s Amateur. She began today’s final round tied with Adithi Anand of Redmond. The two were paired together in the final group, along with Suzie Tran of Poulsbo, who stood three shots back.
Knox built a two-shot lead after nine holes. The turning point of the championship came on the short par-4 15th hole. Anand pushed her second shot into the right hazard and came away with triple-bogey; and when Knox chipped in for birdie, it was a four-shot swing and suddenly Knox had a seven-shot lead with three holes to play.
“This feels so amazing,” Knox said, holding the trophy after the round. “I’ve been watching this tournament ever since I started playing golf. And honestly it is such a big honor to be listed on this trophy with all those amazing names that I’ve been looking up to for the past six years.”
Knox is continuing her summer of good playing. Two weeks ago she qualified for the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur, and has recently committed to play for the women’s team at the University of Washington. She said she has a lot of tournaments planned for this summer and a lot of practice, in preparing for her collegiate career.
Finishing second was Brittany Kwon, who finished three shots back of Knox. Tran finished alone in third place, while Anand finished tied for fourth. Kwon, Anand and Knox will be teammates at the UW next year.
In the Women’s Mid-Amateur, Bendrick began today’s final round with an eight-shot lead over her nearest competitor,
Victoria Fallgren of Spokane. While Fallgren played steadily during the round, eventually posting an even-par 71, Bendrick struggled on the back nine, with four consecutive bogeys on holes 13 through 16, bringing Fallgren back into contention.
Bendrick parred the 17th, and then reached the par-5 18th in two shots before settling for a three-putt par, clinching the title by two shots over Fallgren.
“I haven’t had a win in a really long time, so it was fun to come out here on this beautiful golf course and play some good golf,” Bendrick said after the round. “I was putting really well the first two days, draining some 10-20 footers. I drove the ball fairly straight, which really helped on this narrow course.”
This is the first Mid-Amateur that Bendrick has been eligible to play in. “I’m in the work force now, but I joined the Jefferson Park Ladies League, and they’re great about getting me out on the course at least once a week.”
Bendrick played collegiately at Furman University, where she was named two-time All-Southern Conference. She now works as a research associate on the molecular genetics team at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, which was founded by philanthropist Paul G. Allen. Jacqueline and her father Terry won the 2015 Washington Parent-Child Championship.
Fallgren was the defending champion, having also won it in 2017 and 2018. She is the assistant coach for the women’s golf team at Gonzaga University.
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ABOUT THE Washington Women's Amateur & Mid-Amateur
Entries are open to female amateur golfers who: (1)
have an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index issued by a
WA Golf member club not exceeding 16.4, and (2) are
members in good standing of a WA Golf member club.
54-hole stroke play (gross only).
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