Amateur Samantha Wagner Earns Medal At U.S. Women's Open Qualifier At Hidden Creek
Amateur Samantha Wagner of Orlando, Fla,, stared down a 60-foot birdie putt on her final hole, figuring she needed it to punch a ticket into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open.
“My brother and I took a long amount of time getting ready for it. I hit it solid, but thought I hit I hit it too hard. It was rolling and rolling, and it went right in,” said Wagner, whose rounds of 68-69-137 earned her medalist honors by one shot over professional Thidapa Suwannapura of Ashburn, Va., at the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
The third and final qualifying spot for the U.S. Women’s Open, to be conducted July 10-16 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., went to Stephanie Meadow of Hilton Head, Fla., a native of Ireland in a two-hole playoff over alternates, pros Jacqueline Stoeling of Fort Pierce, Fla., and Australia native Katherine Kerr of Wichita, Kans. Some 70 golfers teed it up at 6,451-yard Hidden Creek, which hosted the U.S. Men's Senior Amateur in 2015.
The second 18 holes was played in light rain throughout the afternoon.
“It was the biggest putt I’ve ever made under pressure,” said Wagner, a native of Bethlehem , Pa., who moved to Florida at age 11. She is a rising junior on the University of Florida golf team and set two records for low score (64) and low total (202) in winning the Pat Bradley college tournament, hosted by Central Florida, in Sarasota last October.
“My mom noticed my swing was off at the beginning of my final nine holes. She reminded me to get back on track. I birdied two of my final three holes and that’ what I figured I needed to do. I felt if I make that kind of putt, I should be in the U.S. Open,” said Wagner, who hopes to play professionally.
Wagner has twice been a first alternate through a U.S. Open qualifier. Two years ago, she got a call on the Monday of U.S. Open week and was told she was in the event at Lancaster Country Club, an hour from her native Bethlehem, Pa. Five years ago, she did not get the call.
“I feel like I’m ready to go pro. This is the most perfect sign you can get. I know I’m ready. This is where I’m supposed to be,” Wagner said. “I thought you could swing for the fairways and be aggressive on the approach shots. I like playing aggressive golf.
Suwannapura, 24, a native of Thailand, is in her fifth year on the LPGA Tour and has earnings of $559,000. Her best year was 2014 when she earned $240,000. She will be playing in her third U.S. Open.
“I couldn’t play last year because I broke my back. It feels good to be playing in the U.S. Open again,” she said.
Meadow, 25, played for the University of Alabama and made her professional debut at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst. At Alabama, Meadow became the Crimson Tide's first four-time first-team All-American.
She has played three years on the LPGA Tour and earned $99,500.
