Fruit Heights • Current, former and future BYU Cougars are dominating the 111th Utah Women’s State Amateur at Davis Park Golf Club.
Stroke-play qualifying for the 16 berths into match play concluded on Wednesday with just-graduated BYU golfer Annie Yang and rising BYU senior Kendra Dalton tying for medalist honors at 4-under-par 138. Yang, from Vancouver, B.C., birdied four of the five par-3 holes on the course and shot a tournament-best round of 5-under 66 to move into a tie with defending champion Dalton, the first-day leader.
Provo’s Naomi Soifua, A BYU-bound teenager who became the second woman ever to qualify for the Men’s State Amateur last month, shot a 67 on Wednesday to place third. Utah Valley’s Carly Dehlin and BYU’s Anna Kennedy rounded out the top five at 141 and 142, respectively.
111th Utah Women’s State Amateur<br>At Par-71 Davis Park Golf Club, Fruit Heights<br>Final Stroke-Play Results<br>139 — Naomi Soifua (72-67); 141 — Carly Dehlin (70-71); 143 — Haylee Chugg (73-70); 145 — Isabella Lesa (76-69); 146 — Sadie Palmer (73-73), Kiselya Plewe (71-75), Xena Motes (70-76); 148 — Cristiana Ciasca (74-74), Laura Gerner (73-75), Sue Nyhus (73-75); 149 — Jobi Einerson (74-75); 150 — Abbey Porter (78-72), Carly Savage (76-74), Masina Kaoheiaulii (75-75); 152 — Marissa Louder (77-75), Gracie Richens (75-77)<br>Thursday’s Round of 16 Matches<br>7:39 a.m. — Isabella Lesa vs. Xena Motes; 7:57 a.m. — Anna Kennedy vs. Tara Green; 8:06 a.m. — Kendra Dalton vs. Cristiana Ciasca; 8:15 a.m. — Kelsey Chugg vs. Kiselya Plewe; 8:24 a.m. — Naomi Soifua vs. Laura Gerner; 8:33 a.m. — Haylee Chugg vs. Sadie Palmer
The cut for match play came at 7-over-par 149. No playoff was needed because exactly 16 golfers shot 149 or better.
Two rounds will be played Thursday, whittling the field of 16 to four. The semifinals will be held Friday morning and the 18-hole championship match is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Dalton, from North Carolina, is the defending champion, having defeated fellow BYU golfer Lea Garner in the championship match last year at Victory Ranch. She will begin match play at 8:06 a.m. Thursday against Cristiana Ciasca, a senior at Corner Canyon High in Draper.
— The Salt Lake Tribune