PORTLAND, Ore. – Emerging from a cutline playoff that took two days to complete, Western Carolina women’s golfer Kim Mitchell advanced into match play at the 115th U.S. Women’s Amateur on Wednesday at the Portland Golf Club. Seeded 59th among the field of 64, Mitchell saw her busy week conclude in the opening round of match play, falling to sixth-seeded Mariel Galdiano of Pearl City, Hawai’i, 7 and 5, to conclude her play in the championship.
Mitchell – just the second Western Carolina women’s golfer to qualify for the top tournament in the United States for amateur women’s golfers – became the first Catamount to advance into the match-play portion of the tournament.
“This has been an unbelievable week,” said Mitchell following Wednesday’s match-play round. “I couldn’t be more proud to represent Western Carolina in our women’s golf national championship. Of course, I couldn’t do it without my coach’s help. With her on the bag, I felt more confident competing against some of the best golfers in the world.”
WCU head coach Mallory Hetzel, who served as her caddy during the tournament, said, “This week has been special and memorable for Kim. There were some 1,300 total entrants for the championship, and to make it all the way through to match play is an amazing accomplishment. Trust me, she made every Catamount very proud.”
Finishing the 36-hole stroke-play round in a tie for 55th overall at 4-over-par 148 on Tuesday, Mitchell was one of 16 golfers vying for the final 10 spots in the match-play field of 64. The playoff, which began in late dusk on Tuesday, saw two golfers clinch berths in match play with birdies and three eliminated by bogeys before darkness forced suspension of the extra session.
Early Wednesday morning, Mitchell carded her second consecutive par in the playoff to secure her spot both in match play and WCU women’s golf history.
“The whole playoff situation was among the most hectic I’ve ever seen in golf. Kim handled herself like a true pro,” said Hetzel.
Mitchell, a product of Woodbridge, Va., drew a tough first-round opponent in the match-play portion of the championship, as her opponent, Galdiano, was coming off the Canadian Women’s Amateur title in late July. Mitchell fell behind early after the opening two holes as Galdiano shot birdie and par while Mitchell went par-bogey for a 2-down score. Mitchell closed the gap to one hole on the par-4 third by scoring par while Galdiano charted a bogey.
After Mitchell’s one-hole win, the duo halved four holes with Galdiano winning six to claim the match 7 up with five holes remaining.
All told, over her 38 holes prior to match play, Mitchell carded a total of 26 pars with three birdies and an impressive eagle on a par-4 hole to counter seven bogeys and one double-bogey over three days of competition.
“I can’t wait to see what confidence she has gained from playing in the U.S. Women’s Amateur will bring,” said Hetzel. “With Kim leading our team, we will have a great 2015-16 season.”
“I want to thank everyone who supported me during this long week. Now I’m really looking forward to seeing my teammates and starting the season,” Mitchell concluded.