Sisters Are the Story in U.S. Women's Four-Ball, So Far

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- There was a movie that came out in 1992 with the title "Sister Act." That also could have been the label for the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship over the weekend.

There were six sets of sisters in the field when the tournament started Saturday morning, and there will be six sets Monday morning starting match play, because they all survived the cut. And two of the sister teams set a record for the lowest 36-hole score in medal play -- 128.

Caroline Craig, 23, and her younger sister Catie, 20, followed a 63 on Saturday with a 6-under-par 65 on Sunday at Oak Hills Country Club on their way to 128, which bettered the old stroke-play record at the Four-Ball of 130. But the 128 was equaled by Lauren Lehigh and her sister Katelyn. Like the Craigs, they are 23 and 20 years old, but they needed a 62 to claim their share of co-medalist honors, because they shot 66 on Saturday.

The Lehighs were bogey free on Day 1, and they were almost par free for the first five holes Sunday. They biridied the first three holes, and the fifth. Having made only one par to that point, they made five in a row before birdying five of the last eight holes for the 62.

As for the Craigs, they made one bogey in their opening 63, and it came at the seventh hole. They made their only bogey during the second round on the second hole, but Catie birdied the 428-yard, par-4 third hole, and Caroline followed with three consecutive birdies. She added one more birdie on the back nine, and Catie supplied two, on the two back-nine par 5s, the 495-yard 10th and the 505-yard 15th.

There were four more teams that tied the old qualifying record of 130.

While all of those sister combinations were making the cut on Mother's Day, the only actual mom in the field, Olivia Herrick, a six-time MGA Women's Player of the Year -- and a mother of two -- came up short. The cut fell at 139 (3 under), and Herrick and Samantha Somers, a three-tme state high school champion from St. Cloud Apollo, were in good shape after opening with a 68. But things got ugly early in the second round. They bogeyed the first hole and doubled the fourth. Birdies at the sixth and eighth holes got them back to plus 1 for the day and minus 2 for the tournament.

A bogey at the par-5 10th hurt their cause -- they were even par for the par 5s over two days, which put them at a distinct disadvantage (the Craigs were minus 6 on the 5s, and the Lehighs were minus 4). The Herrick/Sommers tandem was back to even par for the weekend after they bogeyed the 13th. A birdie at the par-5 15th gave them some hope, but they were still only 1 under overall, and they couldn't get any more birdie putts to fall. Needing a hole in one at the 178-yard, par-3 18th, they made a double bogey instead, and missed by four with a 68-75--143.


U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship

At Oak Hills Country Club

Par 71, 6,260 yards

San Antonio

Stroke Play results

T1. Carline Craig/Catie Craig 63-65--128

T1. Katelyn Lehigh/Lauren Lehigh n 66-62--128

T3. Sarah Lim/Asterisk Talley 68-62--130

T3. Addie Baggarly/Kendall Griffin 67-63--130

T3. Mary Miller/Abby Newton 68-62--130

T3. Kary Hollenbaugh/Anna Ritter 68-62--130

T7. Savannah Barber/Alexa Saldana 64-67--131

T7. Janae Leovao/Jasmine Leovao 63-68--131

Missed cut -- 139

Olivia Herrick/Samantha Sommers 68-75--143