University of Arkansas golfers Brooke Matthews and Kajal Mistry made the cut Wednesday at the rain-delayed U.S. Women’s Amateur championship in Rockville, Md.
The duo will start match play today at Woodmont Country Club.
Mistry’s run to the final 64 was full of drama, as she shot a 3-under 69 to rebound from an opening 81. She was among a group of 15 golfers at 6 over par to participate in a playoff for the final six spots. She clinched her place with a birdie on the par-4 8th hole, her second birdie of the day on that hole, in the first group.
The first playoff trio also included Mistry’s Arkansas teammate Cory Lopez, but the freshman had a bogey on No. 8 and was eliminated.
Matthews had been in the clubhouse for hours by then after shooting a 2-over 74 in the morning to finish at 2 over in stroke play to tie for 18th. The junior from Rogers had four bogeys and made birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 after rain pushed the second round back by a day.
Rachel Heck of Memphis, ranked No. 1 by the American Junior Golf Association and a Stanford commitment, took medalist honors by shooting a 71 on Wednesday for a two-day total of 4-under 140. Defending champion Gabriela Ruffels of Southern California tied for fifth with first-round co-leader Riley Smyth at 1 under.
Lopez shot a 76 on Wednesday and finished at 6-over 150.
Mistry, a sophomore, birdied four consecutive holes starting at the par-4 7th to reach 4 under, gave two shots back with a double bogey at the 12th, then logged two more birdies at Nos. 13 and 17 before finishing with a bogey.
Mistry, who was tied for 125th after the opening round, was one of three golfers to fire a 69 for Wednesday’s low round, joining Marissa Wenzler, a University of Kentucky standout, and Natasha Andrea Oon of San Jose State. Mistry is the only golfer in the field to have one round in the 80s and another in the 60s.
Razorback sophomores Ela Anacona and Julia Gregg also did not make the cut. Anacona could not cash in on her opening-round 71 after carding 10 bogeys en route to an 82 that dropped her to 9 over. Gregg carded a 75 on Wednesday and was also at 9 over.