JOHNSTOWN, Pa. & LOS ANGELES – Duke women’s golf junior Rylie Heflin registered a 4-under-par, 70, Wednesday and came-from-behind to win the Pennsylvania State Amateur at the Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa.
Heflin, who is from Avondale, Pa., headed into the final round three shots off the lead, but cut into it quickly by hitting her 8-iron from 150 yards to 20 feet and drained the eagle putt on hole No. 1. She played the next 15 holes at even par and was tied with Natasha Kiel at 1-under-par for the lead with two holes remaining. Heflin then connected on her second eagle of the day on hole No. 17 as she hit her 5-iron from 190 yards to 15 feet and made the putt, but Kiel matched her eagle. Both golfers parred No. 18 and went to a playoff.
On the first playoff hole, Heflin made a par and Kiel bogeyed to give Heflin the victory. Over the three days, Heflin registered rounds of 74, 77 and 70 for a 1-under, 221. Heflin’s win comes a year after turning in a second-place ledger.
Duke’s Andie Smith and Anne Chen both advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Wednesday as each won their first match play contests in Los Angeles, Calif.
Smith, a native of Hobe Sound, Fla., led the entire match against Anika Day as she birdied the first hole and went on to win 5&4. Smith was on fire the entire match shooting 5-under through 15 holes.
After trailing following hole No. 2, Chen won holes three, four and five to take a 2UP lead and never trailed the rest of the match against Samantha Galantini. Galantini won holes No. 10 and No. 11 to tie the contest, but Chen came back with a birdie on No. 12 to reclaim the lead. Chen, who hails from Sugar Land, Texas, parred hole No. 17 to win 2&1.
Duke incoming freshman Katie Li had her run come to an end Wednesday with a 3&2 defeat to Kyra Ly. The match was tied for eight of the first nine holes, before Ly took the lead on 10 and never looked back.
In the round of 32, Smith will face Ly at 11:30 a.m. (ET), while Chen goes up against No. 3 seed Gianna Clemente at 12 p.m. (ET). Fans will be able to watch the action on the Golf Channel from 6-9 p.m. (ET),…
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