Julianne Alvarez of Seattle shot rounds of 68-74-68 to win the 24th Washington State Women’s Amateur; Victoria Fallgren of Spokane won the 8th Washington State Women’s Mid-Amateur by nine shots; Yasue Alkins of Steilacoom, Wash. shot rounds of 74-76 to win the 18th Washington State Women’s Senior Amateur Championship; and Sun Douthit, also of Steilacoom, won the 4th Washington State Super Senior Women’s title.
All four championships were held concurrently at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. and conducted by the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA). Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WSGAWomensAm and follow @WSGAChampions.
Alvarez, a rising junior on the University of Washington women’s golf team, went wire-to-wire in notching the victory in the Women’s Amateur, shooting a final round 4-under 68 on her 21st birthday.
She began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Kelly Hooper of Spokane, but served notice immediately with birdies on two of her first three holes in today’s final round and never looked back, making five birdies on the day against one bogey to win by four shots over second-place finisher, and UW teammate, Karen Miyamoto of Seattle, who had scorched the course with a final round 7-under 65, easily the best round of the championship.
“It feels pretty good to come out and play some good golf,” said Alvarez, then added with a laugh, “Yes, there was a little excitement early today, and when you’re in a car accident I guess bogeys suddenly don’t seem so bad. After all the stress this morning, the golf felt like a little vacation.”
Miyamoto and Alvarez were carpooling together this morning to The Home Course when they got into a car accident. They were then driven to the course by a tow truck, in time for their rounds.
“I knew I probably needed to shoot a low number today. The course was set up for some scoring opportunities, and Alivia (Brown, who started the day two shots back of Alvarez, and had won this championship in 2015) and the other good players were going to be right there. I knew I needed to do the best I could and hope that would be enough.”
A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Alvarez twice won the New Zealand Amateur (2013, 2015).
Click here to watch Alvarez’s post-round interview.
Fallgren led the Women’s Mid-Amateur from wire-to-wire, and shot the only under-par round of the championship, a 3-under 69 in the second round.
“I’m definitely excited to finally play in the Mid-Am category,” said Fallgren, of her first year of eligibility to play in the 25-and-older fields. “It feels a little different vibe than the Women’s Amateur, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Of her scores, Fallgren said the second-round 69 was also a lot of fun. “The ball went where I wanted it to go. Today’s 75, not so much; a little more ‘exciting,’ and I had to make some par saves.” Fallgren had started today’s final round on fire, 3-under par after eight holes, but struggled with some bogeys on the back, easily coasting to the finish line for her 9-stroke victory over second-place finisher Shawn Farmer of Renton, Wash.
Fallgren just finished her fourth year as assistant coach of the women’s golf team at Gonzaga University. Prior to coaching, she also played at Gonzaga, and was one of the program’s great players, becoming the first Bulldog to win the West Coast Conference title (in 2012) and leading the team to four wins during her senior year. She has qualified for three U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links championships and two U.S. Women’s Amateurs.
Click here to watch Fallgren’s post-round interview.
“It feels great,” said Alkins, when asked how it felt to win the Senior Women’s Amateur for the third time. “I wasn’t expecting to win at all, but for two days I played good. I just wanted to play one shot at a time.”
Alkins also won this championship in 2009 and 2012.
Finishing second in the Senior Women’s Amateur, five shots behind Alkins, is Denise Kieffer of University Place, Wash., and in third place is Lisa Smego of Oro Valley, Ariz., who had started the day tied for the lead with Alkins. Smego was attempting to defend her title, having won last year (and also winning in 2006, 2007 and 2013).
Paired with Smego in the final round, Alkins said, “I know she’s a good golfer, and I knew she would come out today and try her best. I didn’t want to know the score (during the round), I just wanted to go out and play.”
Click here to watch Alkins’ post-round interview.
In the Super Senior Women’s Amateur, Douthit drained a 20-foot putt to save par on the 18th hole of the final round to secure the title by a single shot over Mary Ryan of Renton, Wash.
Douthit, playing in the final group, held a one-shot lead on the final hole, after watching Ryan, who was playing in the group in front of her, bogey the 18th to fall out of a tie with Douthit. Ryan had birdied the par-4 17th to become co-leader, but gave the shot back on the 18th.
Last year, Douthit and Ryan had teamed together to win the 2016 PNGA Women’s Super Senior Team title.
Opened in 2007, The Home Course is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017. The course is cooperatively owned and operated by the Washington State Golf Association and Pacific Northwest Golf Association, and has been the site of numerous local, regional and national championships, including being the companion course to Chambers Bay for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the venue for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. The Home Course will also be the companion course to Chambers Bay for the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
Founded in 1922, the WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. Serving over 68,000 individual members at more than 550 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, the WSGA works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds.
The WSGA also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.
