Amie Cochran is Medalist at U.S. Women's Amateur

Erie, Pa. – Amie Cochran, 18, of Torrance, Calif., added a 71 to her opening round of 70 for a three-under-par total of 141 to take medalist honors at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at the 6,365-yard, par-72 course at The Kahkwa Club.

Cochran headed an international cast of 64 qualifiers that included Michelle Wie, 14, of the USA, Koreans Sun-Young Yoo, 17, and Hee-Young Park, and Julieta Granada, 17, the 2004 U.S. Girls' Junior champion from Paraguay.

Yoo, Park and Granada finished at 1-under-par 143 but Wie struggled with a second-round 78 to finish the 36-hole qualifying at 9-over 153.

“I played good golf but the strokes added up out there,” said Wie.

Wie suffered a double-bogey 7 on the 455-yard, par-5 14th hole and recounted her woes. “I over-swung and pushed my ball into a tree. When I tried to hit it, it only moved an inch, so I declared it unplayable. Then I had to hit a humongous slice, then hit it on the green and two-putted. I feel really relieved to be in match play.”

Wie will face Angela Park, 15, a Brazilian citizen who lives in Torrance, Calif., in Wednesday's first round of match play.

Cochran played steadily, carding three birdies against only two bogeys in her round of 71. “That's amazing,” she said about being medalist. “My game has improved so much. I make so many more up-and-downs and I hit it a little farther. My iron game has improved too.”

This is the first appearance in the Women's Amateur for Cochran, Yoo and Granada.

Granada said the Women's Amateur “feels like it's a lot more important for some reason.”

But a miscue with her pencil cost Granada a stroke. While talking with reporters she realized she had recorded a score of par on the sixth hole when she actually made a birdie. There's no penalty for recording a higher score but the score stands once the card is officially signed.

“I cannot believe I did that,” said Granada. “I knew I had a 69! I totally forgot.”

Cochran will face the winner of an 11-way playoff for the 64th spot in match play. The playoff will begin Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. and matches begin at 9:30 a.m.

Granada plays Gabby Wedding, 20, of Wilmington, Ohio, and Yoo will play Kristen Svicarovich, 19, of Hillsboro, Ore., in the first round of match play. The championship ends with a 36-hole final on Sunday.

Story written by Rhonda Glenn, manager of communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions and comments at rglenn@usga.org.

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