Family Ties

It’s not uncommon for sister duos to appear alongside each other in USGA championships; last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur field boasted three sets. What is rare, however, is for three sisters from one family to all tee it up in the same event. So rare, in fact, that the USGA doesn’t have data to know the last time it happened.

But that will be the case this week, when Molly (19) and Morgan (20) Smith – who have shared a tee sheet for a few USGA championships over the last few years – are joined by their youngest sister, Maddie (16), who was a late addition to the field as an alternate just a few days ago. The Westford, Mass., trio has been a staple on the New England amateur golf scene for the past several years. 

And speaking of staples, Brenda Corrie Kuehn will tee it up in her 60th USGA championship at the age of 59, having earned an exemption into her first U.S. Women’s Amateur since 2002 by way of her runner-up finish in last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

This time, however, will be the first USGA championship played alongside her daughter Rachel, who is playing in her 11th USGA championship. The two share a connected USGA history, as Brenda was eight months pregnant with Rachel when she competed in the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., and both share the distinction of having clinched winning putts for USA Curtis Cup squads: Brenda in 1998 (The Minikahda Club) and Rachel in both 2021 (Conwy Golf Club) and 2022 (Merion Golf Club).

Brenda is coming to Southern Hills straight from the 6th U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., while Rachel will make her fifth and final appearance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, as the recent Wake Forrest graduate and eighth-ranked amateur in the world plans to turn professional this fall.

Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number

The last junior to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur was Rose Zhang in 2020, when the now-phenom won the USGA’s oldest women’s championship at just 17 years old as a relative unknown. Zhang would go on to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior as an 18-year-old one year later, becoming the eighth player to win both championships, but first to do so in that order.  

It would not be surprising for a junior to triumph again this year. Several of them come into the championship highly ranked, and on the back halves of impressive summers.

It’s been eight years since someone has won the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same summer (Eun Jeong Seong accomplished the feat, which occurred just a year after winning the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2015). But Rianne Malixi will look to do the same, after she defeated Asterisk Talley in a dominant championship match at the U.S. Girls’ Junior just two weeks ago. The win, which followed a runner-up finish in the event the year prior, has the Filipina cracking the top 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® at just 17 years old.

Talley will be competing in her fourth USGA championship of the year, having won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in May with partner Sarah Lim, before qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at just 15 years old, finishing with co-low amateur honors. Her runner-up finish to Malixi in the Girls’ Junior vaulted her to a career high 50th in the WAGR®.

Last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion, Gianna Clemente, 16, is another junior to keep an eye on, as she’s had incredible success in USGA match play events. Two weeks ago, she lost in the semifinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior for the second straight year, after a runner-up finish in the championship in 2021. She’s up to No. 21 in WAGR®, with her mind set on an invitation to the USA Curtis Cup team, which will be decided at the conclusion of this week’s championship.

Sunningdale on the Horizon

Speaking of the Curtis Cup, the match is less than a month away, and the USA team has just three of its eight players named to the squad. All first-timers, Zoe Campos (No. 4), Jasmine Koo (No. 5) and Catherine Park (No. 6) have each earned automatic spots on the team by being the highest-ranked Americans in WAGR®. That leaves five spots to fill before the team heads to London on Aug. 24.

Kuehn seems to be in a good position, as she currently sits as the only other American in the WAGR® top 10, but after that, things are very bunched up. Six Americans sit within seven spots of each other in the rankings, with several more close behind, placing a premium on performance at Southern Hills this week for those looking to play at Sunningdale Golf Club against Great Britain & Ireland at the end of the month.

They are Anna Davis (No. 16), Amanda Sambach (No. 17), 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Kiara Romero (No. 18), 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Megan Schofill (No. 19), Clemente (No. 21) and Farah O’Keefe (No. 22). In addition, an American winner on Sunday would grab an automatic spot. Game on.