Former Chantilly star knocked to alternate With roughly half the scores posted Tuesday at Woodmont Country Club, Jenny Suh of Fairfax looked to be in good position to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time. But history has taught her to be pessimistic.
“I don’t think it’s gonna hold up,” said the 26-year-old who is in her second year on the LPGA Tour. “Too many good players left on the course.”
Sure enough, when the last leader’s score was posted, it knocked Suh to alternate status for the second time in three years.
In 2010 at the sectional qualifier, Suh lost a five-way playoff for the final spot. On Tuesday, if Suh would have shot one stroke better than her 78-73 — 151, she would have been in a five-way playoff for four spots.
“I’ve not gotten in just about every way possible,” Suh said. “Missed by a stroke, been in playoffs a few times and not gotten through — just lots of close misses.”
Tuesday’s medalist at Woodmont was LPGA veteran Lori Kane of Canada (146). Other LPGA players who qualified were Haru Nomura of Japan (147), Il He Lee of Korea (150) and Angela Oh of Atlanta (150).
College players who emerged were Virginia rising senior Brittany Altomare (149), who took low amateur, and Princeton sophomore Kelly Shon (150). The youngest qualifier was Samantha Marks (150), a high school senior from Maitland, Fla., who will play at North Carolina in the fall. Qualifiers play July 5-8 at Blackwolf Run (Wis.).
It was 10 years ago that Suh was at Chantilly High and a controversial winner of the Virginia state high school championship, beating the state’s top boys by playing from the women’s tees. Suh spent two years at Furman, and then followed coach Mic Potter to Alabama, where she was a first-team All-American.
After college, Suh spent three seasons on the Futures Tour, winning the 2009 Alliance Bank Golf Classic in Syracuse before graduating to the LPGA last year, where her best finish was a tie for 17th at the Sybase Match Play Championship.
“It’s coming along. Every year is a small progression,” Suh said. “At this level, whoever sinks the most putts wins. I have to do more of that.”
