Anderson Wins First-Round Match at U.S. Women's Am; Neisen, Danielson Both Fall

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CLEVELAND -- Amy Anderson, the former U.S. Junior Girls champion from Oxbow, N.D., fell 1 down when she made a birdie at the 16th hole on Wednesday in the first round of the U.S. Women's Amateur, because her opponent, Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand, made an eagle. 

Nevertheless, Anderson persevered, and ultimately she prevailed. 

The 20-year-old North Dakota State All-American won the 17th hole at The Country Club with a par to square the match, and she won the 385-yard, par-418th with a  birdie to claim a 1-up victory. 

Now for the bad news: Anderson's next opponent will be the No. 1-ranked player in women's amateur golf -- 15-year-old Lydia Ko of Thailand, in the Round of 32.

Ko defeted Amy Beth Simanton of Lake Oswego, Ore., 3&2 in her first-round match.

In the 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying that preceded the match play portion of the Women's Am, Ko finished second with an aggregate of 137 (66-71). Anderson tied for 32nd with a 146 (74-72).

In their first-round matches, on the other hand, Amderson was 2 under for 18 holes, Ko was even for 15.

McKenzie Neisen, the New Prague High School junior-to-be, qualified for match play in both the U.S. Girls Junior earlier this summer, and she made it through the qualifying again this week at the Am. But she got off to a horrible start in her first match at the Girls Junior, and she was shaky at the start again on Wednesday, as she bogeyed the first two holes and fell 2 down to South African Paula Rito.

Then she seemed to get her footing and battled back to be 1 down after No. 7. But a bogey at the par-5 eighth was the beginning of another bad patch and Rito wound up winning 6&5.

Also getting through to match play was three-time Wisconsin state high school champ Casey Danielson of Osceola, but she lost, too, 3&2 to Australian Breanna Elliott. 

Elliott jumped on top with an eagle at the second hold and a birdie at the third and was 4 up after six holes. Danielson played the next nine holes in 2 under, but couldn't reduce the deficit to less that 2 down, and when she lost the 16th hole with a bogey, the match was over. 

U.S. GOLF ASSOCIATION

U.S. Women's Amateur

At The Country Club

Par 72, 6,416 yards

Cleveland

Round of 64 Matches

Amy Anderson, Fargo, def. Moriya Jutanugarn, Thailand, 1 up

Paula Rito, South Africa, def. McKenzie Neisen, New Prague, 6&5

Breanna Elliott, Australia, def. Casey Danielson, Osceola, 3&2

Final Stroke-Play Qualifying results (the top 64 players after 36 holes advance to match play)

1. Hyo-Joo Kim, Korea                                         68-68--136

2. Lydia Ko, New Zealand                                   66-71--137

T3. Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif.                           68-71--139

T3. Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand                          71-68--139

T32. Amy Anderson, Oxbow, N.D.                   74-72--146

T51. McKenzie Neisen, New Prague               70-79--149 (survived 15-for-14 playoff)

T51. Casey Danielson, Osceola, Wis.             74-75--149 (survived 15-for-14 playoff)

Did not qualify

T66. Maria Gabriela, Mexico                             74-76--150 

T99. Steffi Neisen, New Prague                       78-77--155

T146. Susan Kirschenman, Huxley, Iowa     82-81--163