Leigh Chien goes bogey-free for 36 holes to win the Southwestern Women's Amateur

June 15, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Leigh Chien (Southwestern Amateur Photo)

With the win, Chien puts herself squarely in the race for the inaugural Women's Elite Amateur Golf Series title

Leigh Chien from Irvine, Calif., used two straight bogey-free rounds to go 14-under and win the 2024 Southwestern Women's Amateur Championship at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Chien, who is heading to the defending NCAA champions Stanford in the fall, shot 5-under 67 in the third round and 6-under 66 in the final round, with no bogeys in the final 36 holes.

“It feels amazing to win. I haven’t won in a while, so being back in the winner’s circle feels great,” Chien told the Southwestern Amateur.

This was a huge year for the Southwestern Women's Amateur, marking the first year the championship was part of the Women’s Elite Amateur Golf Series.

With the win, Chien will rise toward the top of the standings with three events remaining in the series. Chien is ranked No. 173 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings.

Annabelle Pancake won the Sea Island Women's Amateur to kick off the series.

Yu-Chu Chen from Allen, Tex., Kendall Turner from Chesapeake, Va., and Cindy Hsu from Taiwan finished T2 at 8-under.

Chen and Turner shot a 5-under 67 today with seven birdies against two bogeys. Kaylyn Noh from Rocklin, Calif., made a hole-in-one on the 6th hole and finished T9 at 5-under.

In all, 20 players finished the championship under-par.

The Women's Elite Amateur Golf Series is back from June 25 to June 29 for the North & South Women's Amateur at Pinehurst Resort.

Remaining 2024 Women’s Elite Amateur Golf Series Schedule:

June 25-29 | North & South Women's Amateur, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (No. 2/No. 4), Pinehurst, NC
July 16-20 | Women's Western Amateur, Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, IL
July 23-25 | 94th LNGA Amateur, Hot Springs Country Club, Hot Springs, AR

Results: Southwestern Women's Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Leigh Chien	Irvine, CA	700	69-72-67-66=274
T2	Yu-Chu Chen	, Chinese Taipei	500	67-71-75-67=280
T2	Kendall Turner	Chesapeake, VA	500	69-72-72-67=280
T2	Huai-Chien (Cindy) Hsu	, Chinese Taipei	500	73-69-67-71=280
5	Ellie Bushnell	Granite Bay, CA	400	71-69-73-68=281

View full results for Southwestern Women's Amateur

About the Southwestern Women's Amateur

Leigh Chien goes bogey-free for 36 holes to win the Southwestern Women's Amateur

72-hole stroke play championship for national- level female amateurs with a handicap index of 3.2 or better. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 36 and ties. The SWGA Selection Committee will select players to compete based upon exemptio...