Northwestern University Athletics
Mao Leads Trio Of 'Cats After Day 1 Of U.S. Women's Amateur
8/1/2016 8:19:00 PM | Women's Golf
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. – A trio of Wildcats are in the upper half of the field after Monday's first 18 holes at the 2016 United States Women's Amateur Championship, hosted by Rolling Green Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
Rising sophomore Janet Mao leads the way for Northwestern's contingent after a 2-over 73 highlighted by back-to-back birdies on the 499-yard, Par-5 No. 7, and the 343-yard Par-4 No. 8.
Rising senior Kacie Komoto and incoming freshman Brooke Riley carded matching 3-over 74's on Monday. Following Tuesday's second round, the Top-64 players in the field will advance to the match play portion of the competition. After one day, Mao is T52 while Komoto and Riley are T67.
2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship – Tournament Home
U.S. Women's Amateur Championship - History
Rolling Green Golf Club - Home
Riley, who was in one of the last groups to start and end Monday's first round, will be one of Tuesday's earliest tee times, scheduled at 8:21 a.m. on Rolling Green's No. 10 with University of Kansas' Yupaporn Kawinpakorn and Taylor Totland from Furman University.
Mao will start Tuesday's second round at 1:47 p.m. ET in a group that also includes University of Central Florida's Ashley Holder and Michigan prep standout Stephanie Carras. Shortly thereafter Komoto will tee off from No. 1 at 2:09 p.m. ET paired with Texas Christian University's Annika Clark and Jessica Vasilic of the University of Arizona.
All three Northwestern representatives earned their berths in the field through local qualifying events. Komoto carded a 1-under 70 on July 6 at Sportsman's Country Club in Northbrook, Illinois, good for a share of fifth-place in the 86-person field. Mao fired the low score on June 27 at Georgia's St. Ives Country Club, a 2-under 70. Riley shot a 3-over 73 to earn a sixth-place finish at Oakland's Sequoyah County Club on July 5.
The competition begins with 36 holes of stroke play followed by five days of match play to whittle the post-cut field of 64 down to the 36-hole championship match on Sunday, August 7. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast live coverage of all five days of match play.
Earlier this spring Komoto became the fifth Wildcats golfer in program history to earn three All-Big Ten honors in a career with a 2016 First Team nod. She led the Wildcats this season with six Top-10 finishes, including four Top-4 results. The Honolulu, native owns the second-best career scoring average in program history, and the third-lowest single-season average (2015-16). Komoto has received Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of her first two seasons of eligibility, and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Golfweek last month.
Mao earned Second Team All-Big Ten recognition in her rookie campaign, and picked up the first win of her college career with medalist honors at the 2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native turned in the sixth-lowest single-season scoring average (73.92) in program history as a freshman.
Riley was the four-time Modesto Bee Player of the Year, and earned Valley Oak League MVP honors all four years of her scholastic career at East Union High School. Ranked among the Top-20 golfers in California, she finished in third at last year's CIF state championship, earned a Top-20 spot at IMG Junior World in a field that featured 144 of the world's best players, and also qualified for the 2014 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
Rising sophomore Janet Mao leads the way for Northwestern's contingent after a 2-over 73 highlighted by back-to-back birdies on the 499-yard, Par-5 No. 7, and the 343-yard Par-4 No. 8.
Rising senior Kacie Komoto and incoming freshman Brooke Riley carded matching 3-over 74's on Monday. Following Tuesday's second round, the Top-64 players in the field will advance to the match play portion of the competition. After one day, Mao is T52 while Komoto and Riley are T67.
2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship – Tournament Home
U.S. Women's Amateur Championship - History
Rolling Green Golf Club - Home
Riley, who was in one of the last groups to start and end Monday's first round, will be one of Tuesday's earliest tee times, scheduled at 8:21 a.m. on Rolling Green's No. 10 with University of Kansas' Yupaporn Kawinpakorn and Taylor Totland from Furman University.
Mao will start Tuesday's second round at 1:47 p.m. ET in a group that also includes University of Central Florida's Ashley Holder and Michigan prep standout Stephanie Carras. Shortly thereafter Komoto will tee off from No. 1 at 2:09 p.m. ET paired with Texas Christian University's Annika Clark and Jessica Vasilic of the University of Arizona.
All three Northwestern representatives earned their berths in the field through local qualifying events. Komoto carded a 1-under 70 on July 6 at Sportsman's Country Club in Northbrook, Illinois, good for a share of fifth-place in the 86-person field. Mao fired the low score on June 27 at Georgia's St. Ives Country Club, a 2-under 70. Riley shot a 3-over 73 to earn a sixth-place finish at Oakland's Sequoyah County Club on July 5.
The competition begins with 36 holes of stroke play followed by five days of match play to whittle the post-cut field of 64 down to the 36-hole championship match on Sunday, August 7. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast live coverage of all five days of match play.
Earlier this spring Komoto became the fifth Wildcats golfer in program history to earn three All-Big Ten honors in a career with a 2016 First Team nod. She led the Wildcats this season with six Top-10 finishes, including four Top-4 results. The Honolulu, native owns the second-best career scoring average in program history, and the third-lowest single-season average (2015-16). Komoto has received Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of her first two seasons of eligibility, and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Golfweek last month.
Mao earned Second Team All-Big Ten recognition in her rookie campaign, and picked up the first win of her college career with medalist honors at the 2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native turned in the sixth-lowest single-season scoring average (73.92) in program history as a freshman.
Riley was the four-time Modesto Bee Player of the Year, and earned Valley Oak League MVP honors all four years of her scholastic career at East Union High School. Ranked among the Top-20 golfers in California, she finished in third at last year's CIF state championship, earned a Top-20 spot at IMG Junior World in a field that featured 144 of the world's best players, and also qualified for the 2014 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
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