North Carolina State University Athletics
Lauren Doughtie Drops Quarterfinal Match at WAPL
6/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Story provided by Andrew Blair
VSGA Director of Communications/Virginia Golfer Editor
ERIN, Wis. Lauren Doughtie’s memorable journey though this week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship ended in Friday’s quarterfinals at the national championship at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.
The 21-year-old Suffolk resident dropped a 4 and 3 match to South Korean Jennifer Song, 18, in a match in which she never led. Doughtie says she plans to return to Virginia following the match prior to competing in next week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.
A rising senior at NC State, Doughtie was the medalist in local and sectional qualifying for the Women’s Open.
"I’m really excited. I’m playing well," Doughtie said after her match Friday. "It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m ready to go. I wish it was a day from now."
In the WAPL quarters, Song made the stroke play equivalent of five birdies against a bogey.
"That’s kind of hard to challenge," Doughtie said.
Song, who will be a freshman at the University of Southern California in the fall, owned a 2 up lead through five holes after Doughtie hit the lip on par savers of six and four feet at both holes.
Song pushed her advantage to 3 up with an 8-foot birdie putt at the par-3 sixth. Doughtie closed to within 2 at No. 7, but Song made birdie at the par-3 ninth to go back to 3 up.
Doughtie was two down after hitting the par-5 10th green in two shots to set up a birdie. In the match’s closing stages, though, Doughtie’s short pitch at the par-5 14th rolled off a ridge at the front of the surface, where she wound up making bogey.
Song, who will also be competing in next week’s Women’s Open, closed the match at the par-4 15th, holing a 10-foot birdie putt.
In Thursday’s match-play wins over fellow collegians Erica Creed and Emily Powers, the fourth-seeded Doughtie putted well and was under par in both matches, but lipped out on numerous occasions in the quarterfinals match.
"I can’t complain," Doughtie said. "[Song] did the same thing to me that I did to my opponents [Thursday]. What goes around comes around. I made a lot of putts yesterday and she made them all today.
"I played well. I wish the putts would’ve gone in, but that’s what happens. You have to accept that sometimes."
Doughtie qualified for the WAPL in sectional qualifying on May 29 at Lorton’s Laurel Hill Golf Club, earning medalist honors by carding even-par 71 at the northern Virginia VSGA member club.
Doughtie’s play at the WAPL continues a terrific stretch of play that saw her later earn medalist honors in U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying at Forest Creek Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C., firing rounds of 68-71. It was Doughtie’s third consecutive medal in a USGA qualifier and earned her a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Even before the summer began, Doughtie reached the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship at the University of New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque, N.M., as an individual, finishing in a tie for 34th place.
A first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Doughtie is N.C. State’s all-time stroke average leader and became just the fourth Wolfpacker to earn All-ACC accolades. Doughtie registered a team-leading 74.3 stroke average during her third collegiate campaign.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
