June 18, 2007

2007 WWGA National Amateur Championship Results

URBANA, Ill. - Match play at the Women's Western Golf Association's (WWGA) 107th National Amateur Championship wrapped up on Saturday, June 16, at Stone Creek Golf Course in Urbana, Ill. Incoming freshman Raquel Hopton highlighted the Illini contingent at the tournament, winning the title in the Third Flight. All eight Illini on the 2007-08 roster competed in the prestigious tournament, including four in the Championship Flight.

After shooting two disappointing scores in qualifying rounds (87-82=169) to drop to the Third Flight in the match play portion of the tournament, Hopton responded by winning four straight matches. She defeated Tina Jones of Wildwood, Mo., 3 and 2 in the final on Friday to claim the Third Flight title.

Six of the eight Illini in the field won their first round matches, including top-qualifier Stephanie Mory, Seul Ki Park and Kristine Cook in the 64-player Championship Flight. Cook advanced to the round of 16 before falling to Sara Ovadia of Santa Barbara, Calif., 3 and 2. Full results for the Illini players are listed below.

The tournament, which ran from June 11-16, featured 120 players from 20 states, including the entire 2007-08 University of Illinois women's golf roster, plus players from Canada and the Philippines gunning for the prestigious title. Mallory Blackwelder of Versailles, Kent., and the University of Florida defeated Stefanie Page of The Woodlands, Tex., and Sam Houston State University for the Championship Flight title, 5 and 4.

The Western Am was one of many premier women's amateur events that Illini golfers will be playing in this summer. The summer schedule includes the Illinois Women's State Amateur Championship, June 19-22 in Decatur, Ill., U.S. Women's Amateur Championship Qualifying, July 10 in Franklin, Ind., and the Illinois Women's Open, July 26-28 in Romeoville, Ill, among others.

Illini at the 2007 WWGA National Amateur Championship

Championship Flight (64 players)
R64 Marie Dhel Dela Paz, Antipolo City, Philippines (150) def. Nancy Featherstone, Franklin, Ill. (155), 7 and 5
R64 Stephanie Mory, Haslett, Mich. (142) def. Andrea Ratigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (159), 2 and 1
R64 Seul Ki Park, Northbrook, Ill.(151) def. Amber Lundskog, San Diego, Calif. (153), 3 and 1
R64 Kristine Cook, Fishers, Ind (150) def. Kim Hunley, Aurora, Ill. (154), 2 and 1
R32 Holly Niederkohr, Marysville, Ohio (153) def. Mory, 1 up
R32 Dottie Ardina, Laguna, Philippines (141) def. Park, 2 and 1
R32 Cook def. Tara Goedeken, Dodge City, Kan. (143), 6 and 5
R16 Sara Ovadia, Santa Barbara, Calif. (146) def. Cook, 3 and 2

First Flight (16 players)
R16 Casey Burden, Chicago, Ill. (161) def. Jill Marcum, Iowa City, Iowa (162), 1 up -19 holes
Qtr. Final Leslie Grabeman, Springboro, Ohio (163) def. Burden, 4 and 3

Second Flight (16 players)
R16 Kristin Kallergis, Lake Forest, Ill. (165) def. Lindsey Haines, Crete, Ill. (168), 2 and 1
Qtr. Final Abby Spieler, California, Mo. (166) def. Kallergis, 3 and 2

Third Flight (16 players)
R16 Brittany Atterbury, Rockton, Ill. (170) def. Kelsey O'Neal, Glenview, Ill. (169), 5 and 4
R16 Raquel Hopton, Valparaiso, Ind. (169) def. Ana North, Rock Island, Ill. (170), 2 up
Qtr. Final Hopton def. Chelsea Harris, Normal, Ill. (168), 7 and 5
Semifinal Hopton def. def. Kim Bailey, Gibson City, Ill. (168), 1 up
Final Hopton def. def. Tina Jones, Wildwood, Mo. (176), 3 and 2 ***Hopton wins Third Flight Championship***