Natalie Vo (NCGA Photo)
Mere minutes after it was official, UCLA senior
Natalie Vo began exchanging texts with her Bruins teammates.
There was good reason to celebrate.
Vo, a native of San Jose, built a 4-up lead and later held on thanks in part to the shot of her life on the par-4 17th hole to capture the 58th California Women's Amateur Championship at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club via a 2 and 1 victory over runner-up Amelia Garibaldi. As part of the victory, Vo also received an automatic exemption into the upcoming U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, set for Aug. 5-11 at Southern Hills in Oklahoma.
Clinging to a 1-up lead through 16 holes, the No.15 seeded Vo on 17 hit her approach shot to a tough-tucked flagstick to 2 feet. Garibaldi's second shot, meanwhile, landed in a greenside bunker, leading to an eventual bogey.
"It's great; honestly, it feels good with all the work I've put in," said Vo, who joins Mina Harigae and NCGA Hall of Famers Juli Inkster and Patty Sheehan as champions of the event. "This is the biggest win of my career."
Vo is currently ranked No. 407 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings.
As she did in the semifinals, Vo, who transferred to UCLA after playing at the University of Colorado, came out scorching. She'd birdie each of the first three holes--making a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 1, a 28-foot birdie putt on No. 2 and another one-putt birdie on No.5--to instantly jump to a commanding 3-up lead.
Vo went on to post an eye-opening 31 on the front-nine, and later added another birdie on the 10th to make it a 4-up lead.
"I was just putting really well and was able to take advantage of that," said Vo of her early play.
Following her win on the 10th hole, however, all the momentum shifted to Garibaldi. On the uphill par-5 11th, Vo's third shot landed on the edge of the green but rolled back off, leading to a bogey and par win for the No.21-seeded Garibaldi. A hole later on the par-3 12th, Vo's par putt lipped out, handing Garibaldi, a sophomore at Fresno State, another win and cutting the lead to 2-up.
Just another hole later on No.13, Vo pulled her drive left, her ball landing behind a tree. She was forced to try hitting out left-handed and consequently whiffed. A double-bogey later, the lead was just one up.
Over the next three holes, the two would tie with pars. Garibaldi had a golden chance to tie things up on the par-3 15th when Vo hit her tee shot on the hill to the right of the green. But Garibaldi, whose tee shot landed in the front greenside, took two shots to get out of the bunker. Both would end up carding double-bogeys.
After another tie on the 16th hole, Vo's heroics on the 17th hole would close things out.
"I had fun. My boyfriend (Jake Bettencourt, who also plays at Fresno State) came out so it was nice," said Garibaldi, whose cheerful demeanor never changed despite the defeat. "I just enjoy competing. Spread the joy."
For Vo, her big shot at 17 was much-needed medicine, leading her to win the biggest amateur prize in the Golden State.
"I hit a 54-degree wedge. I was a little bit nervous because it was a full wedge and the wind was going to the right. I was a little worried," Vo said. "Then when I saw that it landed on the green. It was was a relief."
View results for California Women's Amateur
ABOUT THE
California Women's Amateur
The California Women’s Amateur Championship was
founded in 1967 and played at Pebble Beach Golf
Links until 1987 when the Championship was invited
to Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, where it was
played through 2019.
36-hole stroke play qualifying
round, 18 holes each day, to determine 32
players
for match play. Prizes will be awarded
to the Champion, Runner-up, Semifinalists,
Quarterfinalists
and the 36-hole Low Gross Medalist
from qualifying rounds.
View Complete Tournament Information