Three amateurs have been invited to the season-opening event on the Syemtra Tour, including No. 1-ranked Rose Zhang. The Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic takes place March 18-21 in Mesa, Arizona. Two Arizona State players – fifth-year senior Olivia Mehaffey and freshman Ashley Menne – join Zhang in the field.
Zhang, the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion who signed with Stanford, last competed in December at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open in Houston where she made the cut. In addition to the Women’s Amateur title, Zhang won three AJGA invitationals last year and finished tied for 11th at the ANA Inspiration.
The 17-year-old suffered a wrist injury over the summer after practicing in her garage during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Zhang told Golfweek that she took all of January off to rest her wrist and will still likely take breaks in between events.
“It was just uncomfortable,” said Zhang, who is set to join Mehaffey later this month in the upcoming Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Olivia Mehaffey watches her second shot on the first hole during the first round at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club (Jackrabbit Course) in Houston, Texas on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (Chris Keane/USGA)
Mehaffey, a 23-year-old from Northern Ireland, is a four-time All-American at ASU. She won the 2019 Pac-12 Championship and competed in three LPGA majors last year.
Menne hails from Surprise, Arizona, and is a three-time AIA Division I Individual State champion. She posted two top-15 finishes this spring for the Sun Devils.
The 132-player field will compete in a 72-hole stroke-play format with a cut to low 60 and ties. The pros in the field will compete for a $200,000 purse.
Last year at Longbow Golf Club Sarah White, playing on a sponsor exemption from her performance on the Women’s All Pro Tour, beat the field to earn her Symetra Tour card.
from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3cgHVsB