AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas women's golfer Kelley Louth, who just completed her sophomore year in Austin, will compete at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links (WAPL) on Tuesday, June 20 in Pueblo, Colo. Louth is participating in the WAPL for the first time in her career.
The 2006 WAPL will be hosted by Walking Stick Golf Course (Par 72, 6,263 yards). There are 144 competitors in 2006 from 40 different sectional events.
The WAPL is open to female golfers who have been public-course players since Jan. 1 of the current championship year and whose USGA Handicap Index does not exceed 18.4. The WAPL is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
In a USGA amateur championship, there are two days of stroke play qualifying to determine the 64 players who will make it to match play. The players are seeded according to how they played during stroke play. The winners of each match keep advancing until there is only one player left. With 64 players, this occurs after six matches.
Louth (Victoria, Texas) finished second at the San Antonio, Texas, qualifier held by the Pecan Valley Golf Course on May 25 with an 18-hole score of 79 (+7). Louth was one stroke behind Megan Dowdy who won the qualifier with a six-over 78.
"I am very excited about this opportunity," said Louth. "Making it to the public links competition is a step in the right direction for me. I did not qualify last year and made it one of my goals for this summer. The course could play similar to some of our tracks in Texas and it could give me an edge."
Louth was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team in 2006 and finished the season with a 79.11 per round average (third-best on the team). Louth's low round of the year was a one-over par 73 at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic (April 9-10) and posted her season-best finish at the Susie Maxwell with a score of 227 (73-77-77, +11) to tie for 19th.
Louth will open the tournament from the No. 10 tee at 8:36 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20 and play her second round starting at the No. 1 tee at 1:26 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21. All times are Mountain standard time. All qualifiers play 36 holes of stroke play qualifying for the 64 person match play championship. Match play begins on Thursday (June 22) followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday (June 24) and the 36-hole final is held on Sunday (June 25).
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