May 13, 2015
Former Junior Tour of Northern California member Hannah O’Sullivan and partner Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach finally ran into a pair that literally met their match.
The No.2 seeds, O’Sullivan, who now lives in Arizona, and Ree fell in Wednesday’s finals of the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, 4 and 3, to champions Mika Liu and Rinko Mitsunaga, both of whom attend IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Hannah O’Sullivan (left) and Robynn Ree were still smiling despite their finals loss.
Prior to the loss, the 17-year-old O’Sullivan and 18-year-old Ree had been a match play freight train. In their first four matches, the duo lost only six of the 54 holes they played. Among their victories was a 10 and 8 opening Round of 32 win.
The big difference in the match against Liu, 16, and the 18-year-old Mitsunaga was a stretch of three par-4 holes on the Pacific Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes—No.6 through No.8. Liu and Mitsunaga birdied each of them, while O’Sullivan and Ree made par, to take a 3-up lead. O’Sullivan and Ree finished the round with six more pars. Their only birdie came on the par-5 12th, but Liu and Mitsunaga one-upped them by making eagle for a 4-up lead.
Despite the loss, O’Sullivan and Ree did gain valuable experience. The two will begin playing together at USC in the fall of 2016. Ree is headed to USC after this season, while O’Sullivan still has one year of high school golf left.
“Everything happens for a reason,” O’Sullivan told the USGA. “We’ve just got to keep our heads up and take the positives from it – learn from it, bring it into our next events and use it as motivation to do better next time we compete.”
In the morning semifinals, O’Sullivan and Ree had advanced with a 3 and 2 win over No.3 seeds Madelein Herr and Brynn Walker.
May 12, 2015
Former Junior Tour of Northern California member Hannah O’Sullivan and her partner, Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach, moved on the Wednesday’s semifinals of the first U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship after winning their quarterfinals match on Tuesday, 4 and 3. O’Sullivan, who now lives in Arizona, is a junior at Chandler Hamilton High in Arizona. She has already committed to USC.
In the morning Round of 16, O’Sullivan and Ree cruised to a 7 and 5 victory.
No.4 seeds Lucy Li of Redwood City and Kathleen Scavo of Benicia, meanwhile, ran into a buzzsaw. Li and Scavo would fall 2 and 1 to the tandem of Mika Liu and Rinko Mitsunaga. Liu, who’s headed to Stanford in the fall, is currently the No.42 ranked female amateur in the world. Mistunaga is headed to the University of Georgia this fall.
Liu and Mitsunaga immediately applied pressure by opening the round with four straight birdies to grab a 2-up lead. With a bogey on the 7th, Scavo and Li fell three holes down, but the Bay Area pair cut the deficit to 1-up with birdies of their own on holes No.8 and No.9. Two holes later, Liu and Mitsunaga re-gained a 3-up lead, however, when they added two more birdies. Over the 17 holes of the match, Liu and Mitsunaga went 8-under. Li and Scavo went 6-under.
Also falling in the Round of 16 was the No. 6 seeded tandem of Marissa Mar and Lila Barton. The former teammates at Stanford lost, 3 and 1.
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May 11, 2015
One of the four teams with Northern California ties is out, but three remain alive in the brackets at the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship on the par-72 Pacific Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Resort.
Former Junior Tour of Northern California member Hannah O’Sullivan and partner Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach, the No.2 seeds, advanced with a convincing 10 and 8 first round win. O’Sullivan, a member at the Olympic Club, and Ree will next take on No.15 Abby Portyrata and Lauren Greenlief.
Also winning was the No.4 seeded tandem of Redwood City’s Lucy Li and Benicia resident Kathleen Scavo, who won their opening match, 5 and 4. Li and Scavo knocked out former Cal teammates Shannon Wolfe and Eden Anderson. Scavo and Li will next face No.13 Mika Liu and Rinko Mitsunaga.
The No.6 seeded tandem of former Stanford teammates Marissa Mar and Lila Barton also moved on following a 3 and 2 victory.
Tuesday’s play will consist of both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals.
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May 10, 2015
The match play portion of the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship will have a distinct Northern California flavor.
Four squads with Northern California ties moved on to match play following Sunday’s second round of stroke play qualifying on the par-72 Pacific Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Resort.
Leading the way was the tandem of former Junior Tour of Northern California member Hannah O’Sullivan and partner Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach, who secured the No. 2 seed after posting a 4-under 68 to finish stroke play at 10-under 134.
O’Sullivan, who now lives in Arizona but is still a member of the Olympic Club, and Ree finished just a stroke behind medalists Athena Yang and Kendall Griffin.
Benicia’s Kathleen Scavo (pictured) and partner Lucy Li of Redwood City advanced to match play.
Also moving on was the tandem of Benicia resident Kathleen Scavo and Redwood City’s Lucy Li. The two, who are current members of the JTNC, shot 68 to finish T-3 at 135. Scavo is headed to the University of Oregon in the fall. Li, who turned heads by qualifying for last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, is still only 12 years old.
Former Stanford teammates Lila Barton and Marissa Mar also advanced, shooting 69 to claim the No.6 seed. Mar and Barton played together at Stanford during the 2010-11 year, with Mar captaining the team to a Pac-12 title in 2014.
The tandem of former Cal teammates Shannon Wolfe and Eden Anderson also finished stroke play within the Top 32, carding a second round 71 to come in at 144 (T-28).
Ty Akabane of Danville and Kailie Vongsaga of Walnut missed on advancing, shooting 148 (79-69) to finish T-36.
May 9, 2015
Players with Northern California ties are making an instant impact at the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship on the par-72 Pacific Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Former Junior Tour of Northern California member and Olympic Club member Hannah O’Sullivan and partner Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach jumped into a tie for first in Saturday’s stroke play qualifying after posting a stellar 6-under 66.
Hannah O’Sullivan (pictured) and partner Robynn Ree shared the lead after the first round.
The two, who are tied for the lead with Athena Yang/Kendall Griffin, posted seven birdies and just one bogey. Included in their run were four straight birdies from holes No.3 through No.6.
Now living in Arizona, O’Sullivan turned heads back in February when the 16-year-old shot 15-under 201 to win the Symetra Tour Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. With the victory, Sullivan became the youngest ever winner on the tour, a developmental circuit for the LPGA Tour.
Just a stroke behind the leaders after carding an opening round 67 is the team of Benicia resident Kathleen Scavo and Redwood City’s Lucy Li. Also JTNC members, the two posted seven birdies and two bogeys. Scavo and Li, who’s the youngest player in the field, also feasted on the front-nine, carding three straight birdies on holes No.4 through No.6.
Right behind Scavo and Li are former Stanford teammates Lila Barton and Marissa Mar after an opening 68.
Shannon Wolfe and Eden Anderson, who both played at Cal, opened with a 73 (T-24).
Juniors Ty Akabane of Danville and partner Kailie Vongsaga of Walnut shot 79 (T-47).
Following Sunday’s second round of stroke play, a cut will be made with the low 32 teams advancing to match play.