Qualifying to compete in the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship on Monday were, from left, Amelie Zalsman, Karlie Campbell and Kynadie Adams
photo by Tennessee Golf Association
Some dreams were realized while others were vanquished on Monday at Murfreesboro’s Old Fort Golf Club.
As the site of local qualifiers hoping to advance to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship later this summer as well moving on to Final Qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship, the stakes were high in the 18-hole showdown.
Hudson Wilt of Nashville opened with three straight birdies on his way to a flawless round of 64 that featured eight birdies to earn medalist honors at 8-under in the men’s qualifier. The Ensworth graduate who competed at Texas Christian last year as a freshman won by a convincing five-shot cushion.
Four golfers tied for second at 3-under 69, including Bennett McNabb of Ringgold, Ga. The Lee University redshirt senior punched his ticket to the U.S. Amateur after narrowly missing out in last week’s Tennessee State Amateur where he finished tied for 5th after sharing the first-round lead.
McNabb was joined at 3-under by UT-Martin sophomore Luke Beadles of Nolensville, Brentwood’s Michael Shivers who is entering his senior season at MBA, and Grant Milling of Nashville.
With the low seven scores advancing to Final Qualifying to be held at various sites between July 14-30 in hopes of making it to the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club – Lake Course in San Francisco on Aug. 11-17, five golfers deadlocked at 2-under 70 went to extra holes to determine the final two spots and alternates.
Chattanooga’s Griffin Law, an incoming freshman at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Wyatt Plattner of Sarasota, Fla. both parred the 451-yard, par-4 18th to earn the final slots on the first playoff hole.
It took four holes to decide the alternate positions, with Chase Roswall of Bristol winning first alternate and Garrison Hogan of Atlanta claiming second alternate. Conner Brummitt of Abingdon, Va. was also among those golfers at 2-under but was eliminated on the first hole of the playoff to determine alternates.
In the women’s qualifier with three berths up for grabs to advance to the U.S. Women’s Amateur slated for Aug. 4-10 at Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Resort, three golfers tied for medalist honors to punch their tickets.
Karlie Campbell of Ethridge, Kynadie Adams of Gallatin and Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Fla. all shot 4-under 68 to advance after each of them started their round on hole 10.
Campbell, a rising sophomore at Kentucky, started her round with a bogey, but then compiled five birdies over her remaining holes. The 2023 Tennessee Girls Junior champion capped her round with a birdie on her final hole at No. 9.
Adams recorded three of her five birdies over her opening six holes, playing steady down the stretch with pars over her final eight holes to secure her spot. Adams, the 2019 Tennessee Girls’ Junior Golfer of the Year, is entering her second season at Texas A&M after starting her collegiate career with two years at Alabama.
The 16-year-old Zalsman, a member of the U.S. National Junior Team and recent winner of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship in Wisconsin, eagled her first hole to spark her successful outing while adding four birdies.
Australia’s Jazy Roberts, who was runner-up in last week’s prestigious North & South Women’s Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Resort, was first alternate at 3-under 69, a score equaled by Baylor School rising senior Carlee Rogers, who was named second alternate.
For complete results, go to U.S. Amateur qualifier and U.S. Women's Amateur qualifier.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com