Kristie Smith tames North and South
IN: News | US Womens Amateur | North and South Women's Amateur (2008) | Round Two | by Liz White | 16 Jul 2008
Kristie Smith has tamed the mighty Pinehurst No 2 and finished in outright third at the North and South Amateur championships in North Carolina.
The young West Australian shot a one under 72 at the famed course and missed out by two shots on winning the Putterboy trophy for the lowest gross score.
Those honours went to recent Western Women’s Amateur Champion Jennie Arsenault, who carded a one under 71 on Pinehurst No 8 today to defeat yesterday’s leader, UCLA’s Ryann O’Toole, by one stroke.
Smith now heads into the matchplay stage ranked number four and in great news for amateur golf in Australia, Stephanie Na and Stacey Keating have also made it through to the matchplay, both posting 150 totals.
Smith was frustrated today that she wasn’t able to capture the medal honours.
“Today’s round was alright,” she said.
“I had five birdies but I also had some stupid bogeys so I am a bit disappointed that I let the medal slip.”
Like yesterday, Kristie said she struggled off the tee.
“I only hit about five fairways, and when you get stuck in the Pinehurst rough and with the saucer greens to deal with, it makes it hard to score well,” she said.
“On the par fives where you have a chance to birdie I let a few things slip.
“On the tenth I had a sandwedge in my hand and made bogey, then I did the same on the tenth when I had a nine iron in my hand. On the eleventh I hit it short and didn’t get up and down. I left a bit out there.”
Smith may feel a little bit down but she was one of only five of the 156 strong field to card a sub par round.
A one over round of 74 made Stephanie Na happier than she was yesterday after a four over round but she still feels her game is not yet on song.
“I don’t know what it is but I am just not hitting my irons well,” she said.
“I missed a lot of greens but fortunately I made a lot of up and downs today because my chipping was better than yesterday.”
Na said it was a thrill to play Pinehurst No 2 even though she found the greens very difficult.
“They are very tough, if you don’t put it in the right place it just rolls off and if you don’t putt well it can really hurt.
“I left a lot of birdie putts right in the heart which was annoying. I started with a birdie but that was my only one. It was very frustrating, I had 7 pars after that.”
Stacey Keating’s 150 two round score mirrored Na’s and she too was ruing a few missed chances.
“I actually didn’t play that well,” she said.
“I had one birdie and I eagled one of the par fives with a nice little three inch putt, but apart from that it was a real grind out there for me today but I am happy to make the match play after yesterday’s first round.”
Tomorrow sees the first round of match play and Smith squares up to California’s Kim Joy who is seeded 61 after posting a qualifying score of 155.
The 19-year-old is hoping for an improvement on last year when she was knocked out in the first round of the North and South.
“Yeah that was one of those days where I played a girl who had eight birdies,” she laughed.
“What can you do about that?”
The current Australian Amateur Champion knows how to get it done and is approaching the match just like any other game of golf.
“You never know what is going to happen in match play and maybe I might make eight birdies tomorrow.”
Victoria’s Stacey Keating, seeded 16, is in the same half of the draw as Smith and faces California’s Sara Ovadia.
“Hopefully I will play well, I just have to play my own game,” she said.
Royal Adelaide’s Stephanie Na is in the other half of the draw and is seeded 26. She will face the 39th seed Virginia’s Whitney Neuhauser.
“It is just like any other match where you play your own game. We are fighting for the same thing.
“I am happy to make match play after yesterday’s round and anything can happen from here.”
Most likely to have the biggest gallery tomorrow will be Cheyenne Woods who plays South Carolina’s Dawn Woodward. Woods has tremendous pedigree as the niece of Tiger and is seeded 22nd.
Only one round of match play will be contested on Pinehurst No 2 tomorrow with the 36 hole final to be played on Sunday.
