Longwood’s Steinhagen has sights on the LPGA
Longwood golf standout Amanda Steinhagen shies away from discussing her post-collegiate goals. But her ambition is stamped on the license plate of her Mustang: 2B-LPGA.
Steinhagen, 19, is taking positive steps toward the goal with a promising freshman year at Longwood, which she followed with a second straight victory in the Virginia Women’s Amateur last week at Belle Haven Country Club.
“I’m definitely going to do four years of college and see where it goes from there,” said Steinhagen, a graduate of Oakton High.
For inspiration, Steinhagen can check another name on the Kohler Trophy. Winning Virginia Women’s Amateur titles was a stepping stone for Donna Andrews, who captured five straight (1985-89) on her way to six LPGA titles.
Steinhagen, who won Virginia state public school titles in 2007 and 2009, struggled with a back injury early in her first year at Longwood. But she surged in the spring with top-five finishes in two events followed by a victory in the Tina Barrett Invitational.
“Playing college golf is completely different than anything I imagined. It’s awesome,” Steinhagen said. “I’ve really made a lot of improvements over the last year. It’s not necessarily a game thing as [much as] it is a mental strength thing.”
Steinhagen’s mental edge was apparent Thursday. In the quarterfinals, she was 1 down with two holes left against Amanda Hollinsworth but sank a 12-foot putt for birdie to get even, then won the 18th with a par.
In the semifinals, Steinhagen watched Lauren Greenlief roll in a birdie putt on the 18th hole to extend the match but recovered on the first playoff hole with a winning par.
Friday’s 5 and 4 victory in the finals over Ju Hee Bae, a sophomore at Chantilly, was easy by comparison.
The key win for Steinhagen came in the semifinals. Greenlief, a recent graduate of Virginia who will use her final year of eligibility as she pursues a master’s degree, is a former Oakton teammate. The two now are developing a rivalry as they dominate Virginia women’s amateur events.
Last year, Steinhagen edged Greenlief in the Women’s Amateur finals 2 and 1. Greenlief, meanwhile, has ruled the Virginia Women’s Stroke Play, winning her record third straight last month.
In other words, Oakton High can claim five of the last six titles in the two most prestigious events in Virginia women’s golf.
