Pasadena City Women's Championship begins Saturday at Brookside
Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena, Calif.
Will anyone be able to top the performance of
Alice Zhao from a year ago?
That question will surely be on the mind of any participant or spectator who is familiar with the 54-hole total of 202 that the 12-year-old from Irvine, Calif. put up during the 2021 Pasadena City Women's Championship. Her three-shot win over Long Beach State golfer Angelina Kim cemented itself as a historic mark in the new era of a once-thriving tournament.
The championship, once claimed multiple times by the iconically versatile Babe Zaharias, fell into dormancy during the end of the 20th century. Tournament director Lew Murez revived it in 2018, and saw his daughter Marni Murez capture the restored event's first title.
Then just three years later, Zhao set the Brookside Course No. 2 competitive women's record at 63 while the runner-up Kim established a new Course No. 1 record at 66. Zhao's 19-under total was also verified as the lowest 54-hole score, relative to par, ever posted at Brookside among all amateur and professional levels.
"A lot of research went into this and we were able to validate it," Murez said.
Presented with 36 and 54-hole options, the latter of which for those seeking desired World Amateur Golf Ranking and Southern California Golf Association points, the Pasadena Women's and its longtime host Brookside Golf Club are ready for another successful event, beginning Saturday, July 23 and running through Monday, July 25.
This year's Championship Flight field features players whose ages range from as young as 13 up to 62, with the most experienced golfers coming in the form of a pair. Twins Cathy and Carol Sarkissian, who once competed in the same USGA event together in 2012, are set to take on collegiate and high school players, alike.
Having a year to go before reaching high school is Hana Choi of La Canada Flintridge, who serves as the youngest player in the tournament's top flight.
Diamond Bar native Juliet Oh, who will begin her high school career this fall, is headed to Brookside fresh off a five-shot win at the SCPGA Junior Summer Series event at Pala Mesa.
Full tournament participants, like the Men's version of the event in March, will play 18 holes on each of Brookside's two tracks before a final round on the longer of the two, the C.W. Koiner course, known additionally as Course No. 1.
"It's a wonderful golf course with a lot of history," Murez said.
ABOUT THE Pasadena Women's City
The Pasadena Women's City Championship has
been
revived after years of
dormancy. There was a Pasadena City Women's
tournament in the past that
had a grand history with players like Babe
Zaharias
winning multiple times
but then it died for many decades. Organizers
hope
it
will re-establish itself as
a premier women's championship in Southern
California.
Three divisions: Championship, Net, and
40&over
Gross/Net. Championship players
may play 36 or 54 holes, but 54 holes are
required
for WAGR/SCGA points. Minimum
age 15, though exceptions made on a case-by-
case
basis. No handicap requirement
but suggested for
seasoned players only.
View Complete Tournament Information