Large Crowd Helps Song Turn In Platinum Performance

By Stuart Hall

Devens, Mass. — Jennifer Song enjoys playing in front of galleries. In her eyes, the bigger, the better.

Late Thursday afternoon, Song played in front of the largest gallery of the week at the 33rd U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at Red Tail Golf Club. Fair to say, though, most of the three-dozen spectators were pulling for her opponent, Brittany Altomare, a local favorite from just 30 minutes away.

“I kept hearing how she was the local girl and how she had practiced here quite a bit, so I was expecting a great game from her and that’s exactly what it was,” said Song. “It was a very intense match from the very beginning.”

Jennifer Song turned away local favorite Brittany Altomare in the third round Thursday. (John Mummert/USGA)

Ultimately, the 19-year-old Song, who grew up in Korea and now lives in the Los Angeles suburb of La Cañada, recorded a 1-up victory to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against Casie Cathrea, 13, of Livermore, Calif., the youngest remaining player in the field.

Altomare, 17, of Shrewsbury, Mass., opened with a birdie to win the 340-yard, par-4 first hole, and Song countered with birdie at the 505-yard, par-5 second hole to square the match. Though Song, the 2008 WAPL runner-up, took a lead she would not relinquish with a birdie at the 142-yard, par-3 fifth hole, a tone of superior shotmaking was established.

With the usual match-play concessions, Altomare shot the equivalent of 2-under 70; Song a 3-under 69. By the turn, Song had already record four of her five birdies.

“To be only 1 down at the turn, I felt pretty good,” said Altomare, who will attend the University of Virginia in the fall.

Song took her second 2-up lead with a birdie at the 363-yard, par-4 14th, but believed she may have won the match with her play on the 366-yard, par-4 16th.

After making bogey on the previous hole, Song pulled her tee shot and was left with a shot from the rough and her feet in the bunker. Using a 7-iron, she laid up to within 90 yards and managed an up-and-down par.

“It was a great up and down,” said a soft-spoken Song, who is not one given to praising herself.

Being match play, Altomare was prepared for such a shot. “It was a great wedge shot. You just had to expect she was going to stick it, because it is match play,” she said.

Song will not talk about this week’s expectations other than her next opponent, but last year’s 2-and-1 loss to Tiffany Joh at Erin Hills Golf Club still gnaws at her memory.

“I desperately wanted that one,” said Song, who never trailed in the match until the 33rd hole. “This year I am trying to do my best to get there again, but I think overall I just want to have fun.”

Against Altomare, Song had more than just the customary bout of nerves. Even though she had played in front of thousands at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., and was co-low amateur (T-39), this crowd was different.

“I knew a lot of the crowd would be rooting for her,” said Song. “I don’t mind playing in front of a really big crowd because they’re rooting for whoever they want to root for. But today, I thought they’d all be for her.”

To ease her emotions throughout the match, Song kept reciting the bible passage Isiah 41:10. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God!I strengthen you — yes, I help you — yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!”

With the victory, Song, playing her ninth USGA championship, improved her match-play record to 8-1 over two WAPL appearances and 12-4 for her USGA career. She was also coming off a freshman season at the University of Southern California in which she was the runner-up at the Pacific 10 Conference, NCAA West Regional and NCAA Division I championships.

Yet, Song was a little unsure of what this week would hold for her. She arrived at Red Tail on Friday after making her way back from her native Korea and a swing by her California home.

“Right now, I’m very pleased with the way I’m playing,” she said. “During stroke play [in which she shot 71-72–143] I didn’t know where my swing was. I think I still had a bit of jet lag to get over.”

Now that Song has her legs about her, she would not mind making it to Saturday’s scheduled 36-hole championship.

And see what kind of crowd awaits.

Stuart Hall is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on USGA championship Web sites.