Pair of Garden State Women’s Golfers Seek U.S. Women’s Open Title
PHOTO CREDITS: USGA/Kathryn Riley
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open begins on June 3 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., and there are four players in the field with ties to the Garden State with their eyes on the Harton S. Semple trophy.
On May 10, 2021, the New Jersey State Golf Association hosted a 36-hole sectional qualifier at Spring Lake Golf Club in Spring Lake, N.J. Professional Cheyenne Woods and amateur Megha Ganne picked up the two qualifying spots, earning themselves a trip to the major championship. Leigha Devine, of Windsor, Colo., received the first alternate spot, but since then, has entered the field.
Ganne, of Holmdel is making her second appearance in the U.S. Open. The 17-year old’s impressive resume is highlighted by a semifinal appearance in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur. More recently, she competed in the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. In 2018, Ganne won the NJSGA Junior Girls’ Championship at Neshanic Valley Golf Course.
“It's really exciting,” Ganne explained in a media interview with the USGA. “This time around I knew what I wanted because I played it the first year so the qualifier was so much more pressure, and I just knew how badly I wanted to be here again, and now that I'm here it's super exciting and feels a lot more familiar, so I think I'm sort of lined up for a little bit more success than last time.”
Ganne will begin her U.S. Open action on Thursday at 3:56 p.m. ET. Ganne, is not only the third-youngest player in the field of 156 and she is also amongst the 30 amateurs playing at the Olympic Club.
Wayne native Marina Alex, a full-time LPGA member will be playing in her seventh U.S. Open. She earned her LPGA card in 2013 after finishing third on the Symetra Tour money list. Her best finish in a major championship is a tie for ninth in the 2014 Women's British Open.
Alex is set to tee off at 11:21 a.m. ET on Thursday and will be competing alongside 2015 champion In Gee Chun. Alex recorded her best finish in a U.S. Open in 2017, finishing a tie for 11th at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. She won the 2003 NJSGA Junior Girls’ Championship.
Woods, medalist at the NJSGA’s local qualifier at Spring Lake will compete in her fifth U.S. Open beginning at 10:26 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Devine, a sophomore at Rutgers is the first Scarlet Knight to earn a spot in the U.S. Open. She is slated to open action at 5:46 p.m. ET on Thursday.
The Olympic Club was founded in 1860 by Charles and Arthur Nahl. The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open will be played on The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, marking the first USGA women’s championship held at that course. Additionally, it will be the 11th USGA championship ever contested at the Lake Course. The par-71 Olympic Club will play a lengthy 6,457 yards for the June 3-6 tournament.
Fans can watch the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open each day with nearly 25 hours of live coverage across NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock. To view the entire broadcast schedule, click here.
For U.S. Women's Open live scoring, statistics, player interviews, photos, highlights, features and more, download the U.S. Women's Open app here.
