A year after losing to the eventual champ in quarterfinals of U.S. Women’s Am, Coloradan Lauren Lehigh earns spot in match play again; also advancing is CU golfer Morgan Miller
By Gary Baines – 8/8/2023
Last year, Lauren Lehigh of Loveland had a magical run at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
This year, the opportunity is there for more of the same.
A summer after Lehigh advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championship — where the two-time winner of the girls state high school individual title lost to eventual champion Saki Baba of Japan — Lehigh has earned a return trip to the match-play portion of the Women’s Am.
Lehigh shot a 1-over-par 71 Tuesday at storied Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, giving her a two-day stroke-play total of 1-over 141. With the top 64 performers out of the 156-player field landing match-play berths, Lehigh easily made the grade.
The former Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Girls Player of the Year — and now a University of New Mexico golfer — Lehigh made 10 birdies, nine bogeys and a double bogey in her 36 holes of stroke play. She’ll play her round-of-64 match on Wednesday.
It should be noted that Lehigh’s achievement last year was a rare one for a Colorado resident. No other Coloradan — including current LPGA standout Jennifer Kupcho — has advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Am in the last two decades.
Lehigh will be joined in match play by University of Colorado golfer Morgan Miller, a two-time winner of the girls Colorado match-play title. Miller, who originally was an alternate for the Women’s Am following the June 21 qualifier at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, went 71-70 in L.A. to tie Lehigh in stroke play. Miller carded four birdies and five bogeys through 36 holes.
The other player with strong Colorado ties who earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, University of Denver golfer Emma Bryant of Aurora, shot 74-76 and failed to make match play.
Scores of the players with strong Colorado connections competing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur:
25. Lauren Lehigh of Loveland 70-71—141
25. CU golfer Morgan Miller 71-70–141
Failed to Make Match Play
114. Emma Bryant of Aurora, a DU golfer 74-76—150
For all the scores from Bel-Air CC, CLICK HERE.
Colorado Golf Journal 