Raleigh’s Jenna Kim had a tough day Tuesday in the first round of stroke play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
The 17-year-old Durham Academy student, who has committed to play college golf at Yale, shot 80 to fall six strokes below the cut line entering Wednesday’s final round of stroke play. The top 64 in the 156-player field advance to match play.
A few N.C. natives are in better position to advance. Morgan Ketchum of Winston-Salem, who recently finished her career at Wake Forest, shot 2-over-par 74. Wake teammate Macy Pate of Winston-Salem and Emily Mathews of Mebane, who plays at Virginia Tech, shot 75.
Ketchum and Pate played together at Reagan High and this past year at Wake. Ketchum, who played three years at Virginia Tech, was a Hokie teammate of Mathews.
Ketchum is part of an 18-player tie for 46th place in the 156-player field. Mathews is one of 14 players tied for 64th.
Carolina Wynns, a 15-year-old from Buies Creek, shot 81.
Ketchum made three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey. Pate posted two birdies, three bogeys and a double. Mathews made two birdies on her way to 35 on the front, but made four bogeys for 40 on the back nine.
Anna Iwanaga of Japan shot 67 to lead the field. Only 20 players were under par on the difficult Pete Dye design.
