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Leina among 66 to vie for US Open spot
The CNMI’s Leina Kim will be among the 66 female players that will tee off in the 36-hole Sectional Qualifier for the 70th U.S. Women’s Open at the Riverdale Golf Club’s The Dunes Course in Brighton, Colorado according to coloradogolf.org.
Kim
The Sectionals offer two spots to the $4-million U.S. Women’s Open, which will be hosted by the Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from July 9 to 12.
Riverdale is one of the 21 Sectional Qualifying events for the U.S. Women’s Open with four held overseas.
Jennifer Coleman, a former University of Colorado Buffalo lady golfer, already secured her U.S. Women’s Open spot in El Dorado Hills, California last May 18.
Kim will be competing against a number of Colorado’s best lady golfers along with two-time Colorado Women’s Golf Association two-time Player of the Year Somin Lee (2011 and 2012).
The Colorado State University-Pueblo junior is fresh from a 12th place finish in last week’s NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship at the Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Michigan.
She finished the four-day finals with an 18-over 306 score to eclipse her 20-over 306 when the national tournament was held in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2013 where she competed as a freshman and placed 28th overall.
Kim, a first team All-American and All-West Region selection, is hoping that her amazing run in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Fall and Spring seasons would carry over to the Sectionals. She was the first CSU-Pueblo golfer to earn All-American honors.
She topped five of the nine RMAC tournaments, and also placing second and third twice, and 10th once. Her RMAC performance earned her a spot in the West Super Regional Tournament where she finished third after a playoff to earn a spot to the Nationals
Kim, who made history in 2013 when she was named to the WGCA second-team selection in her freshman year under the Lady ThunderWolves’ golf program, was also a three-time Rocky Mountain Conference Player of the Year and an RMAC first-team All-Conference selection.
CWGA Players of the Year Becca Huffer (2008) and Jennifer Kupcho (2014), reigning 5A State High School champion Gillian Vance, Symetra Tour players Ashley Tait and Carleigh Silvers, and Ladies Professional Golf Association veteran Lauren Howe will also be competing in the three-day qualifier.
Huffer, a Denver native, has already qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open, while Silvers also played in last year’s edition. Kupcho had a runner-up finish in the 2014 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open and is fresh from winning her second straight 4A Stae High School Title.
Howe is and LPGA Tour veteran where she won the 1983 Mayflower Classic.
