UW recruit wins Pacific Northwest Women's Amateur Championship
July 16, 2011 | Women's Golf
July 16, 2011
PORT LUDLOW, Wash. -- University of Wisconsin women's golf recruit, Aaren Ziegler, won the 110th Pacific Northwest Women's Amateur Championship at Port Ludlow Golf Club in Port Ludlow, Wash.
Ziegler, who will enroll as a freshman at UW this fall, defeated Lovelynn Guioguio of Lipa City, Batangas - Philippines 5 and 4 in the 36-hole championship match.
The Canby, Ore., native went 1-down on the second hole of the match but quickly got back to all square by making a birdie and winning the par 3, third hole. She would gain a 2-up lead by the ninth, and after winning holes 11, 12 and 13 she had a commanding 5-up lead at the end of the morning round.
The match continued in the afternoon with Guioguio inching back, winning the 23rd and 28th holes to get to 3-down in the match, but Ziegler regained control of the match by winning the 29th and 31st holes with pars to go dormie, 5-up with five holes to play. In true championship form, Ziegler hit the flag on the par 3, 32nd hole stopping her ball 10 feet from the hole and ending the match 5 and 4.
When asked what this win means to her she said, "This is my first women's event after turning 18, so it's special. This was a great course for me because it was a lot like the course I play at home."
Ziegler started match play as the No. 27 seed following the two rounds of qualifying, and fought her way through the bracket defeating Brenda Jesernig of Olympia, Wash. in the Round of 32, then Cherokee Kim of DuPont, Wash. 1-up in the Round of 16, then 2008 PNGA Women's Amateur Champion and another member of the Philippine National Team member, Cyna Rodriguez of Lipa City, Botangas, Philippines 1-up in their quarterfinal match, and Sunshine Baraquiel of Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines, also a Philippine National Team member, 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
Designed by Robert Muir Graves, Port Ludlow Golf Club poses a tremendous challenge to the most discriminating player. The course continues to be ranked every year as one of Washington State's best places to play by Golfweek and Golf Digest, while Esquire magazine also recognized the course as "The Most Scenic in the World." The course is also a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) was founded on February 4, 1899. It is a 501c3 charitable, international amateur golf association dedicated to preserving the true spirit of the game of golf and promoting activities beneficial to golfers in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. PNGA territory is broken down into five zones, which are: Zone 1 - Oregon; Zone 2 - Eastern Washington; Zone 3 - Western Washington and Alaska; Zone 4 British Columbia and Alberta; and Zone 5: Idaho and Montana. There are approximately 220,000 individuals at over 720 PNGA member golf clubs.
Above story and images provided by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association
