- amateurgolf.com photo
CARMEL, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2011) –
Jenni Jenq of Saratoga won the 2011 California
Women’s Amateur with a 5 & 4
victory over Petra Cole of Santee. The 45th
playing of the event took place at the Golf
Club at Quail Lodge that measured 6020 yards.
The two 25 years olds started the 36 hole
match under showery conditions. But that
didn’t seem to bother Jenq who started
strong with birdies at the first two holes.
When Cole made bogey at No. 3, Jenq found herself
3-up after three holes. The two halved the
next 3 holes with pars.
At hole No. 6 Cole found the bunker and
failed to get up and down. Jenq canned a 25
footer for birdie increasing her lead to 4. They
halved the next 8 holes with pars.
At hole No. 16 Cole cut the corner on the
dogleg par four around the water and was
about 20 yards ahead of Jenq who was unable
to reach the green in two. Cole missed her
opportunity and failed to reach the green
hitting into the right front bunker. Her
explosion shot came out hot and over shot the
green. A poor chip resulted in a double bogey.
Jenq missed her 4 footer for 4, making bogey
but won the hole and was now 5-up.
A missed green at the 136-yard par-4 No.
17 left Jenq with an awkward shot to the hole.
She elected to putt from the rough but
didn’t have enough pace to get up the
slope of the contoured part of the green and
ended up about 15 feet away. Jenq made
bogey and Cole two putted for par. Jenq was
now 4-up. The two had routine pars at 18 and
Jenq was 4-up after 18 holes.
After a brief lunch break the match went
on. Jenq continued her great iron play with a
stiffed shot to the par 5 No. 1 leaving her 5
feet away. She made another birdie increasing
her lead to 5-up.
Cole missed an opportunity to get one
back at hole No. 2 with a missed five foot
attempt on the par three. But Jenq gave one
back at number 3 with an errant second shot
that found the left front bunker resulting in
bogey to Cole’s up and down par. Jenq
was now 4-up.
The two traded bogeys on No. 6 and No. 7
then Cole dropped a 60 foot bomb for birdie on
the par three 181 yard par three reducing
Jenq’s lead to 3. Halving the par five
No. 9 with pars and the par 4 No. 10 with
bogies, another missed approach for Cole at
the 11th resulted in double bogey and another
lost hole. Both players two putted for pars at
the 12th.
Trying to get the momentum back, Cole
stiffed her approach to 8 feet at the par four
No. 13. Jenq missed the green by just a few
feet and her ball ended up in the rough with a
difficult pitch without a lot of green to work
with. Jenq hit a perfect shot, just as she
envisioned. Her ball found the bottom of the
cup for another birdie. Cole missed her birdie
attempt extending Jenq’s lead to 5 and
now dormie.
Both players reached the par 5 No. 14 in
regulation and after a failed birdie attempt by
Cole at a 25 footer and a lag by Jenq for a
give, the match was over and Jenq became
the winner of the 45th California
Women’s Championship.
“I’m very happy, but
tired,” commented Jenq after the
round. “I’m honored to win. It is
a dream come true.” This is the biggest
win for the 25 year old from Saratoga. Earlier
this year she won the Santa Clara County and
the Fresno City. She qualified for the U.S.
Women’s Amateur but failed to make
match play. The Wellesley College graduate
plans to play in all the USGA and California
events next year in preparation to turn pro.
Cole, a San Diego State graduate currently
attending graduate school studying public
administration and the only female caddy at
Torrey Pines, plans to return next year to the
Monterey Peninsula for another attempt at the
title. “I really enjoyed the tournament,
it’s well run and I really like the
course.” Cole made it to the finals on
her first attempt.
The Lengfeld flight was won by Melanie
McCaffrey of Huntington Beach with a 3 &
2 victory over Hannah Purdy of Newbury Park,
CA.
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