What Happened
Four days ago, Frances Kim and Nikki Oh were home in Southern California, hoping for this moment.
“When we got the call, we screamed,” said Kim, of Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. “We were trying to manifest this.”
The duo, who played together in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship for the first time last year in Puerto Rico, were first alternates out of the Vista, Calif., qualifying site after shooting a 69 in their November qualifier. They found out they made it into the field via another side’s withdrawal on Tuesday, and they carded a 7-under-par 65 at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash., on Saturday for a share of the lead after Round 1 of the 8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.
“We got everything packed and ready to go in one day,” said Oh, 15, of Torrance, Calif. “Especially coming in last minute, we just didn’t put too much pressure on ourselves. We wanted to play our best, and we are grateful to be here.”
Their score was matched by only two other sides, both of which have long known they would be at The Home Course this week. Kaitlyn Schroeder and Bailey Shoemaker as well as Anna Davis and Kiara Romero were exempt into the field based on their lofty Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Davis, 17, who won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, got off to a torrid start, recording four birdies and an eagle in her first 10 holes. Romero added three birdies of her own during that stretch, which resulted in a front nine 6-under 30 for the side.
“We had confidence, we had momentum. Putts were dropping,” said Romero, 17, of San Jose, Calif.
They would cool off for a back-nine 35.
“On the back nine the wind picked up,” Davis noted. “We gave ourselves a birdie chance on almost every hole, even on the back nine. Putts just weren’t dropping.”
Schroeder and Shoemaker, runners-up a year ago, did most of their damage in the middle of their round, playing hole Nos. 5-16 in 7 under par. Shoemaker, 18, of Dade City, Fla., who will join the University of Southern California women’s golf team in the fall, continued her stellar play in Washington state, having advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur just 12 miles down the road at Chambers Bay nine months ago.
Defending champions Thienna Huynh and Sara Im continued their strong play in the event, carding a 5-under-par 67. Savannah Barber and Alexa Saldana, the only other champions in the field, having won at Maridoe Golf Club in 2021, turned in a 3-under 69.
What's Next
Each side will play another 18-hole round of stroke play on Sunday, with the low 32 sides of 64 advancing to match play. Should a playoff be required to determine the final spot(s) in match play, it will take place on Sunday evening. Match play begins Monday morning.
