Isabelle Lendl, the 2009 champion, is off to a fast start in her bid to win a second Women’s Eastern Golf Association Amateur Championship.
Lendl, the daughter of former pro tennis star Ivan Lendl, fired a 70 on Tuesday to take the first-round lead at the Country Club of York. The Vero Beach, Fla., golfer has a one-shot advantage over Amanda Steinhagen of Oak Hill, Va., and Kelly Pry, of Coatesville.
Rachel Rohanna of Waynesburg was another shot back at 72, while Allison Emrey of Charlotte, N.C., was next at 73.
Two Country Club of York golfers are participating in the event. Amy Kennedy fired an 85 on Tuesday, while Connie Shorb shot 87.
The three-day event will continue on Wednesday and conclude on Thursday.
The WEGA Amateur is one of the most prestigious amateur events on the East Coast. Several of its former champions have gone on to successful careers on the LPGA Tour, including JoAnne Carner, Peggy Bell, Laura Diaz, Debbie Massey, Patti Rizzo and Beth Bauer. In addition, the tournament has been played on some nationally known courses, including Aronimink, Baltusrol, Congressional, Merion and The Country Club.
LOCAL GOLF NOTE
PAIRINGS SET FOR WOMEN’S AMATEUR: The pairings have been set for the Women’s York County Amateur Golf Association Championship, which is set for June 19-21 at Regents’ Glen Country Club.
Connie Shorb, who has won the event 30 times, is listed as the No. 1 seed in the championship flight, while Amy Kennedy, who has captured four WYCAGA titles in the last seven years, is seeded No. 2. Shorb beat Kennedy in last year’s title match, 1 up in 19 holes. Both Shorb and Kennedy play out of the Country Club of York.
Range End’s Ruth Stover garnered the third seed, followed by No. 4 Amy Golden (Grandview), No. 5 Karen Miller (Hanover Country Club), No. 6 Cindy Jay (Out Door Country Club), No. 7 Talley Leeper (Grandview) and No. 8 Paula Bauer (Range End). Tuesday’s quarterfinal matches in the match-play event will pit Shorb vs. Bauer, Golden vs. Miller, Kennedy vs. Leeper and Stover vs. Jay.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, June 20, followed by the finals on Thursday, June 21.