Taylor Totland Medalist At U.S. Women's Amateur Qualifier

Within the past year, Taylor Totland of Tinton Falls, who plays out of Hollywood Golf Club, has won the NJSGA Women’s Amateur, the Southern Conference champions as a member of the Furman University team, and on Monday was medalist for the second straight year at a U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier, conducted by the NJSGA.

Totland, who turned 20 in May, fired a round of 5-under-par 67 to easily gain medalist honors by seven shots at the 5,152-yard Mendham Golf and Tennis Club in Mendham. It was an improvement on the previous year when she shared medalist honors with Karen Chung of Livingston, who plays on the USC women’s team.

Besides Totland, five other players gained spots in the upcoming U.S. Women’s Amateur , August 10-16, at Portland Golf Club in Oregon. Runner-up went to Mexico national Ana Paula Valdes, a rising freshman at Clemson University, who shot 74.

COMPELTE LEADERBOARD PHOTO GALLERY

Shooting 75 and qualifying were Cindy Ha of Demarest, N.J., who plays at Vanderbilt University, Christian Parsells of Bernardsville (Georgetown), Allesandra Liu of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and Haley Bookholdt of Columbus, N.J., a rising junior at Northern Burlington High School.

First alternate went to Emily Mills of Farmingdale, N.J., a rising sophomore at Rutgers ,who also shot 75 and lost in a playoff for the final automatic spot. Rachel Corry of Ridgefield, Pa., was second alternate with a 76.

“Over the past year, we’ve figured something out. I’m dialing in on my distances. My putting and ball-striking have all improved, nothing dramatic, but gradual. The coaches (Kelly Hester, Jeff Hull) at my school (Furman) are amazing. They’ve helped me improve in so many ways,” she said after her round that included five birdies over the final 12 holes and six birdies overall.

At Furman, Totland is teammates with rising sophomore Alice Chen of Princeton who has won two NJSGA Junior titles, two state Public Links crowns and one NJSGA Women’s Amateur. Like Totland, Chen also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Last year, Totland edged Chen in the state Women’s Amateur semifinals match-play, 1 up. They will be playing together again in the event August 3-6 at Bedens Brook in Skillman.

“There will definitely be pressure because I want to defend my championship,” she said. “Alice is my friend and seeing her and competing with her is always fun.”

In last year’s U.S. Amateur, Totland advanced to match-play and lost in the first round to eventual champion Kristin Gilman of Texas, 1 up.

“That was a great experience being out there. I gained a lot of experience and that will be helpful to me in Oregon,” she said.

Totland had played one practice round at Mendham and liked how it set up for her.

“It had a lot of blind shots and doglegs. It’s all about placement here on the fairways and on the greens. I like course management,” she said.

“Taylor’s game is headed in the right direction, and that comes from her coaches. And maturity has something to do with it,” said her father and caddie, D.J. “She’s constantly working on her confidence. She believes she can shoot a low score and keep it going when she’s in the middle of a good round. It’s a growing process and she is still dealing with it.”