AUGUSTA – She is said to be extremely talented and capable of great things. On Thursday, Monet Chun agreed with everyone who has supported her for years. Her inspired play made her the first Canadian to secure her ticket to the finals of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.
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And not through the little back door. Through the front door. Because the color bearer of the Wolverines from the University of Michigan points to the sixth tier of the main draw with a cumulative record of -2 after 36 holes.
On Saturday, she follows in the footsteps of the greatest women golfers in history and those who used this women’s championship to make their mark at the legendary Augusta National Club.
She had watched Tiger Woods raise his arms to the sky in April 2019. The 22-year-old athlete will be in the same place.
“It’s going to be very enjoyable to be able to play against these girls at the top of the table in this very special venue,” she said after giving a superb 69 (-3) card at Champions Retreat Golf Club on Thursday.
“Just being here, I’m super excited,” the Ontarian added. I know several of my rivals that I face on the NCAA circuit. So in that respect it will not be new. »
On Friday, as tradition dictates at this championship, she will head out with all participants for a practice lap on the greenways of the famous Washington Road Club.
She doesn’t want to come up with a number for her baptism of fire in this holy land of Georgia. Chun just wants to enjoy the moment and take notes for the last lap. She is accompanied by her sister Adèle, who is carrying her bag.
However, only 31 golfers will play the final round on Saturday when the ax fell to +2.
Under control
In his first two rounds, Chun wowed the gallery. She is one of 33 golfers to break par on the challenging Champions Retreat Course.
According to analysis by her instructor Matt Wilson, she delivered an impressive game. While not the strongest, she controlled her shots and limited errors. Chun really stood out as he approached the pennant to collect valuable shots.
“I managed to fight and put in two good laps,” emphasized the one who started with a card of 73 (+1). Personally I think this course suits my style of play very well, I hit some good shots with my long irons which helped me a lot. I was also solid off the tees and around the greens. This allows good values to be displayed. »
As members of his family cheered around the green at the end of the course, Wilson praised his protégé’s meticulous plan and discipline. He had wisely pointed out one of his protégé’s great qualities last week. It knows how to excel on the most difficult tracks.
Rose Zhang alone before
Looking at the motherboard, it’s easy to guess that Rose Zhang is in a class of its own. She added a 65(-7) to an opening round of 66(-6) and built a five shot lead over the tournament lead at -13.
In two days, the gifted 19-year-old American broke no fewer than three records in the history of the tournament, which is now in its fourth year. She pulled five shots from par on the first leg (31), recorded the best round (65), and her 131 cumulative shots (-13) leave march leader Jennifer Kupcho (139 in 2019) in her little shoes.
Only Andrea Lignell and Jenny Bae are in contention with ratings of -8 and -7 respectively. At -3, Caitlyn Macnab and Hsin-Yu Lu complete the top five.