Penn State's Rogowicz in running at Women's Amateur qualifier
Now that Jackie Rogowicz plays golf at Penn State, she's finding that her competition schedule has changed quite a bit.
Now that Jackie Rogowicz plays golf at Penn State, she's finding that her competition schedule has changed quite a bit.
"It's weird," said Rogowicz, a Pennsbury High School graduate who is entering her sophomore season for the Nittany Lions. "It used to be like my summer was the golf season, now it's the fall and spring."
That didn't stop the 18-year-old Yardley resident from carding a 1-over-par 72 Monday on an overcast summer day in the opening round of qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Delaware County.
Rogowicz was tied for 36th with one more stroke-play round to play, putting her in the middle of the hunt for one of the coveted 64 spots in match play.
Mika Liu, 17, of Beverly Hills, Calif., shot the best round of the day, a 5-under-par 66. Sixteen-year-old Yuka Saso of the Philippines and 13-year-old Lucy Li of Redwood Shores, Calif., were tied for second at 67. A total of 26 players broke par for their opening 18.
Rogowicz, who finished sixth in June at the Women's Porter Cup at Niagara Falls, N.Y., was 3 over par through 16 holes Monday but closed with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, a pair of par-5s.
She fell just short of match play in her only other appearance in the Women's Amateur in 2014, losing in a playoff for the final spots, but isn't setting any expectations for herself this time.
"Obviously I want to make match play," she said, "but I think I play better when I don't have expectations so I try not to set them. I just go out and see what happens."
Boothwyn's Aurora Kan, who graduated last year from Purdue, had the next-best score among Philadelphia-area contestants, a 74, and was tied for 67th place. She said it was her first competition of the summer and that she felt tense early before settling down.
"I do miss the competition," she said. "After college, I just felt burned out. I just needed a break mentally and just figure out what I wanted to do. I really do love golf."
Four-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi, formerly of Voorhees, hit every fairway but ran into some misfortunate on her second nine, leading to a pair of double bogeys in a round of 79.
"I came up short on a couple of holes," said Stasi, playing in her 10th Women's Am. "I got myself in some really bad spots. I made two birdies on [my first nine] and came back a little bit, but it's tough on the greens."
Other scores of local players included Madelein Herr of New Hope, 74; Alessandra Liu of Bala Cynwyd, 76; and Kate Evanko of West Chester, 82.
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