Leovao Twins, Yen/Young Share Medalist Honors in Oklahoma

Janae and Jasmine Leovao, along with Oregon natives Natalie Yen and Asia Young, finished 7-under-par 135 after two rounds of stroke play to earn co-medalist honors in the 10th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. 

The 21-year-old Leovao twins are teammates at Long Beach State University and continued their strong play on Sunday, tallying four birdies against just one bogey to finish the weekend 67-68-135. The sisters from Oceanside, Calif., co-led after the first round of last year's U.S. Women’s Four-Ball and were the clubhouse leaders following the conclusion of their second round early on Sunday. 

“I feel like we were close [to medalist honors] last year, so it’s really nice to see how much we’ve improved,” said Jasmine. 

Added Janae: “I know that we’re capable of being at the top. At the end of the day, we just knew we had to make it [to match play] and see what happens the rest of the week.” 

Later in the afternoon, Oregon natives Natalie Yen, 18, and Asia Young, 16, strung four birdies together on hole Nos. 12-15 – three from Yen and one from Young – to shoot up the leader board and join the Leovaos at 7-under par for the championship. 

“I got hot with my irons, got hot with my putter, and I knew that [Asia] was playing steady golf,” said Yen. “That just gave me the liberty to fire at pins and give myself opportunities.” 

Young, whose mother caddied for her on their Mother’s Day round, noted the added significance of earning medalist honors alongside a friend. 

“I think [earning medalist honors] side by side is even cooler than just on your own. We’re friends first,” said Young.  

Current Fresno State teammates Amelia Garibaldi and Katelyn Lehigh wrapped up the first two rounds of stroke play at 6-under par after shooting 68-68-136. During the second round, the Bulldog duo combined for five birdies in total, including three from Garibaldi on the back nine.  
 
Chiara Brambilla of Italy, and Annika Ishiyama from Costa Mesa, Calif., posted a bogey-free 5-under par in the second round to close the weekend at 6-under. After carding one birdie on the front nine, Brambilla caught fire, adding four birdies on the back, including a 30-footer from the back fringe of the 18th green to secure the University of Houston duo’s spot in match play.  

What's Next

The championship now switches to match play on Monday with the Round of 32 set to commence at 10 a.m. ET. Match play continues through Wednesday’s semifinal and 18-hole championship matches. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Notable

• Fourteen mothers were on the bag for their daughters on Sunday. To commemorate Mother’s Day, the USGA handed out pins in the same manner it does on Father’s Day, which always falls on the final Sunday of the U.S. Open.

•  The match play cut came at 1-over-par 143. It is the third time in the championship’s 10-year history that a playoff was not needed to determine the 32 spots in the match play bracket. 

• 2021 champions Savannah Barber and Alexa Saldana were 4-over for the championship through nine holes on Sunday. The duo played a bogey-free, 3-under-par second nine to finish inside the cut line and advance to match play. 

• 2023 champion Avery Zweig and new partner Emerson Roychoudhury finished 72-73-145 and missed the cut.  Of the six USGA champions in the field, four advanced to match play (Barber, Saldana and 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Kimberly Dinh, playing alongside Mary Janiga Kartes and 2018 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Shannon Johnson, who is partnering with Megan Buck).

• The youngest side in the field, Mia Clausen (14) and Vivi Yen (15), shot 3-under-par 139 to advance to Monday’s Round of 32.

• Only one of last year’s semifinalists was in this year’s field; Savannah Cherry, 19, of Brentwood, Tenn., and Lauren Slatton, 18, of McMinnville, Tenn. They shot a two-round total of 3-over 145 to miss the cut by two. 

• Amelia Garibaldi chipped in from off the green for birdie twice, on Nos. 4 and 10. She is partnering with her Fresno State teammate Katelyn Lehigh.

Quotable

“It’s tough combining those long clubs with the wind, these tough pin placements and tough greens. It just kind of all adds up to really be a USGA championship. It’s what you imagine when you think of the USGA.” – 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball co-medalist Katelyn Lehigh on the challenge presented by Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club this week

“I felt like I was playing old man par out there today. Not really making much but just saving pars.” – Janae Leovao on her play during the second round 

“It was just amazing, because she’s someone who I can just say anything to, talk about my feelings. It’s just the best way to do it.” – Asia Young on having her mother on the bag  

“It’s just really special that it’s here, we had a whole audience following us yesterday. For this championship to have been in Oklahoma City out of all places it could have been, that’s pretty special.” – Oklahoma native Harlow Gregory, 14, on playing the championship in her home state