Totland, Chung Share Medal At U.S. Women's Amateur Qualifier

Taylor Totland of Tinton Falls and Karen Chung of Livingston each shot 2-over-par 70s and shared medalist honors at U.S. Women’s Amateur sectional qualifying on Monday, July 7, at Montammy Golf Club in Alpine.

The event was administered by the New Jersey State Golf Association.

Totland and Chung were two of the five who qualified for the U.S. Amateur which will be contested at the Nassau Country Club, August 11-19, in Glen Cove, Long Island.

Others who qualified were Marika Liu of Bradenton, Fla., and Kristin Dahee Chung of Buena Vista, Calif., both at 73, and Noelle Maertz of Clark, at 75.

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Totland, a rising sophomore at Furman University where this past spring she was voted Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and team MVP, won the NJSGA Tournament of Club Champions in 2012.

She also won the New Jersey scholastic Tournament of Champions in her junior year. Her round Monday included two birdies and four bogeys.

“My coaches have been helping me with my swing change, just to gain more consistency,” she said. “The course was difficult today with blind shots and the greens were lightning fast. I’m happy with the 72.”

Karen Chung just completed her freshman year at the University of Southern California and yesterday secured a berth in the U.S. Amateur for a fifth straight year, beginning at age 13. In 2013, she was exempt as she had a World Ranking in the Top 25. Her best finish in the event was the Round of 32 in 2010. Her round on Monday included four birdies and six bogeys.

“I’m going to do better at the Amateur this year because it’s closer to home, and I’m more confident. I’ve definitely grown in the last year. I’m more mature,” said Chung, who was home schooled. “The best thing I’ve learned in college is course management.”

Liu and Dahee Chung both are native Californians and have Yale connections. Liu grew up in Beverly Hills before attending the IMG Academy for four years in Bradenton.

She is the captain of Yale’s golf team and plans to go to LPGa Tour Q-School in the fall of 2015. Dahee Chung is a rising senior at Fairmount High School in Anaheim and has committed to Yale in 2015.

Maertz was the feel-good story of the day. Just a week ago, she and Women’s Amateur Champion Alice Chen were tied after regulation in the 2014 Women’s Public Links Championship. Chen won on the first playoff hole.

But the tournament was Maertz’s to win. All she needed was to sink a four-foot putt on the 18thhole for the first 69 of her career, but she miss due to nerves. On Monday, she righted the ship.

“I had the same putt on the 18thhole today, and the thought went through my mind of what happened last week. I was determined to make it today. It was a learning experience,” said Maertz, who is on the golf team at Wagner in Staten Island.

That one stroke made the difference between being a qualifier or playing possibly playing off for a spot.

Both alternates, Taylor Babcock of Westport, Conn., and Maria Fassi, of Pachuca, Mexico, shot 76.