The U.S. Women’s Amateur is a prestigious golf tournament that only one-third of the competitors ultimately make match play. The 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club started with 156 players, but only 64 will advance to match play after the cut at 9 over. However, before match play begins, there will be a playoff for the final spots, with 20 players competing for 10 spots. This year’s playoff will be the largest in the history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and will start at 8:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday, with match play set to follow at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Among the notable amateurs who didn’t make the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur is Catie Craig, the 2024 Women’s North & South Amateur champion. Despite finishing third in the Women’s Elite Amateur Golf Series season-long standings, Craig narrowly missed the playoff for match play by one shot. Sera Hasegawa, a rising senior at Baylor, also failed to make the cut after shooting a strong 74 on Tuesday but an opening 79 in the first round. Hailey Borja, a semifinalist in 2023, struggled in the tough afternoon heat, shooting 10 over to miss the cut. Yana Wilson, the 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, also missed the cut after bogeying her last three holes.
Chun-Wei Wu, the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific winner, had rounds of 76 and 77, while last year’s Round of 16 participant, Oh, missed the cut with an 80 on Tuesday. Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, the 2023 national champion with Wake Forest, shot rounds of 79-80, and Molly Smith, a rising sophomore at UCF, struggled to find form at Southern Hills. Krissy Carman, the 2022 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am champion, shot 85 in the first round, putting her in a difficult position to make the cut. Despite their impressive backgrounds, these golfers will not be advancing to the match play portion of the tournament.
The competition at the U.S. Women’s Amateur is fierce, with top amateur golfers from around the world vying for a chance to compete in match play. The tournament format requires players to showcase their skills in stroke play before advancing to the elimination rounds. While some golfers, like Catie Craig and Sera Hasegawa, came close to making the cut, others, such as Hailey Borja and Yana Wilson, fell short in their quest to continue in the tournament. The pressure of the playoff for the final spots added an extra layer of intensity to the event.
For golfers like Chun-Wei Wu and Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, the U.S. Women’s Amateur offered a chance to test their skills against a competitive field. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to secure a position in the next round of play. The disappointment of missing the cut is a common experience in golf, where small margins can make a big difference in the outcome. However, for players like Molly Smith and Krissy Carman, the experience of competing in a prestigious event like the U.S. Women’s Amateur is valuable for their development as golfers.
The pressure of competing at Southern Hills Country Club, a renowned golf course with a history of hosting major championships, added to the challenge for the competitors. The course presented a tough test for the golfers, with its demanding layout and challenging green complexes. The experience of playing at such a prestigious venue will undoubtedly help the players grow as they continue their golf careers. While not making the cut is disappointing, the lessons learned from competing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur will be valuable for these young golfers as they strive to reach the next level in their careers.
