Princeton University Athletics
Catherine Rao advanced to the match-play quarterfinals at the U.S. Women's Amateur.
Photo by: USGA
Rao Ends Run in Match Play Quarters at U.S. Women's Amateur
August 09, 2022 | Women's Golf
Princeton incoming freshman Catherine Rao's run at the U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. came to an end in Friday's quarterfinals, capping a week that saw Rao qualify for the 64-player match play out of the stroke-play field of 156 and then win three match-play rounds in two days to make the quarters.Â
Friday's quarterfinal round saw Rao take on UCLA rising senior Annabel Wilson, and Wilson's lead was never more than one hole through the first 15. A strong close delivered Wilson the win, taking 16 and 17 to clinch, 3-and-1.
In Thursday's round of 16, Rao defeated Clemson rising junior Annabelle Pancake 4-and-3, closing the match with wins on three straight holes, 13 through 15, after Pancake had narrowed Rao's lead to one hole with six to play.Â
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Earlier Thursday, Rao defeated Georgian Sara Im 2-and-1 in the round of 32, leading wire to wire after winning the first hole and building a lead as large as three holes. Standing 1-up with two holes to play, Rao won the 17th hole by making par in three while Im bogeyed what became the final hole of the match.
On Wednesday, Rao defeated round-of-64 opponent Izzy Pellot, an incoming freshman at Mississippi State, breaking a tie at the turn by winning three of the next four holes while splitting the other in that stretch to stand three up with five holes to play. Pellot responded with three wins over the next four holes to pull even heading into 18, but Rao birdied the final hole to take the match.Â
Rao made the match-play portion of the event after finishing at -6 through the two-round stroke play to tie for seventh in the 156-player field, cutting six strokes off her first-round score to turn in a 67 in Tuesday's second round.
In that second stroke-play round, which started for Rao on the 10th hole, Rao birdied four of her first seven holes and responded to a bogey on the par-three 17th with an eagle on the par-five 18th hole. The back half of Rao's round saw her put two birdies, on the par-five fourth hole and on the par-four sixth, around a bogey on the par-four fifth hole to net a stroke in the red on the back nine.Â
Rao was one of two Tigers competing in the field, with rising senior Tiffany Kong shooting an 81 and a 77 across the two stroke-play rounds to end at +12. All players at +4 ended up making a playoff for the final match-play spots.
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Friday's quarterfinal round saw Rao take on UCLA rising senior Annabel Wilson, and Wilson's lead was never more than one hole through the first 15. A strong close delivered Wilson the win, taking 16 and 17 to clinch, 3-and-1.
In Thursday's round of 16, Rao defeated Clemson rising junior Annabelle Pancake 4-and-3, closing the match with wins on three straight holes, 13 through 15, after Pancake had narrowed Rao's lead to one hole with six to play.Â
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????? Shake it off ?????@Princeton_WGolf's Catherine Rao is headed to the quarterfinals. #USWomensAm pic.twitter.com/RucZEGljZf
— USGA (@USGA) August 12, 2022
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One of the best two-putts you'll ever see from @Princeton_WGolf's Catherine Rao! ?? #USWomensAm pic.twitter.com/r63VYOLdvw
— USGA (@USGA) August 11, 2022
Earlier Thursday, Rao defeated Georgian Sara Im 2-and-1 in the round of 32, leading wire to wire after winning the first hole and building a lead as large as three holes. Standing 1-up with two holes to play, Rao won the 17th hole by making par in three while Im bogeyed what became the final hole of the match.
On Wednesday, Rao defeated round-of-64 opponent Izzy Pellot, an incoming freshman at Mississippi State, breaking a tie at the turn by winning three of the next four holes while splitting the other in that stretch to stand three up with five holes to play. Pellot responded with three wins over the next four holes to pull even heading into 18, but Rao birdied the final hole to take the match.Â
Rao made the match-play portion of the event after finishing at -6 through the two-round stroke play to tie for seventh in the 156-player field, cutting six strokes off her first-round score to turn in a 67 in Tuesday's second round.
In that second stroke-play round, which started for Rao on the 10th hole, Rao birdied four of her first seven holes and responded to a bogey on the par-three 17th with an eagle on the par-five 18th hole. The back half of Rao's round saw her put two birdies, on the par-five fourth hole and on the par-four sixth, around a bogey on the par-four fifth hole to net a stroke in the red on the back nine.Â
Rao was one of two Tigers competing in the field, with rising senior Tiffany Kong shooting an 81 and a 77 across the two stroke-play rounds to end at +12. All players at +4 ended up making a playoff for the final match-play spots.
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Players Mentioned
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Thursday, December 18
Tuesday, November 25
Friday, November 21
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