Notebook: WAPL Is For All AgesSunriver, Ore. — The old proverb goes, “Golf is a game for a lifetime.” Nowhere is that more prevalent than at the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at Sunriver Resort. Among the field of 144 contestants is a 62-year-old mother of three and two golfers that could pass as her grandchildren, 12-year-olds Mina Harigae and Michelle Wie.
“It’s not how old you are, it’s how well you hit the ball,” said Salley Wessels, a former teacher who is competing in her sixth WAPL.
She could draw plenty of inspiration from Wie and Harigae. Wie, from Honolulu, Hawaii, already is playing in her third WAPL, having qualified two years ago as a spry 10-year-old, where she made the cut at The Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen, N.C. Wie remains the youngest player to ever qualify for a USGA championship. Last year, she beat Curtis Cupper Hilary Homeyer in the second round of the WAPL at Kemper Lakes outside of Chicago.
Harigae, of Monterey, Calif., became the youngest champion in the history of the California Women’s Amateur when she beat fellow 12-year-old Sydney Burlison in the final. All three girls attempted to qualify for the Women’s Open on June 10 at the Valencia (Calif.) Country Club sectional site, but they failed to advance.
Harigae posted a 4-over 75 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying on the Meadows Course at Sunriver Resort. Wie had a 79 and Wessels carded an 85. The low 64 advance to match play beginning on Thursday.
The Year Of The Gopher?
Two months ago the announcement came down that the University of Minnesota was going to eliminate the men’s and women’s golf teams along with men’s gymnastics to help alleviate a budget deficit within the school’s athletic department. This did not go down well in the golf-crazy state.
And the men’s team went out and won the Big Ten title and followed it up with an amazing comeback at the NCAA championships in Columbus, Ohio, rallying from 16th place to take the title. Since then, the president who announced the decision, Mark Yudof, has left the school for a chancellor position within the University of Texas system.
Another story could be brewing at the WAPL. Terra Petsinger, Arvilla, N.D., posted her career-best score with an even-par 71 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying. Her score was just two off the pace set by Australia’s Lindsey Wright, standout on the Pepperdine University women’s team.
In fact, Petsinger seems to have good luck in events played in Oregon. Her previous best round was a 74 shot at Langdon Farms outside of Portland in an AJGA event. Her best finish this past season for Minnesota was at the Nike Duck Classic in Eugene.
“I just like Oregon, I guess,” said Petsinger.
As for the women’s program at Minnesota, Petsinger, a sophomore-to-be, said enough money has been raised to keep the team for 2002-2003 and they are halfway to raising enough money to keep the team going through 2005.
“The vice president of the school talked to us and in her words the school would save the most by cutting the programs that affected the least amount of people,” said Petsinger, adding that by eliminating the programs, it would affect a lot of juniors. “Minnesota has one of the biggest junior programs.”
Minnesota ranks third in the U.S. in high school girls golf participation. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Land of 10,000 Lakes had 4,306 girls participate on high school teams in 2001.
“That’s where I go for most of my tournaments,” said Petsinger. “I only live about 30 minutes from the border.”
All five players from the Minnesota women’s golf team qualified for the WAPL: Petsinger, Tai Kinney, Karyn Stordahl, Kirstin Whaley and Karen Quintelier. Whaley had to withdraw due to an illness. Kinney and Quintelier are transferring to San Jose State and Kansas State, respectively. “It’s too bad because I think we would have had an awesome team next year,” added Petsinger.
By David Shefter, Golf Journal. Shefter is the associate editor of Golf Journal.
