USC Women’s Golf: Women of Troy Jump Into Amateur Championships

Fresh off an outstanding spring filled with accolades, members of the dominant Women of Troy squad are battling in the 113th Annual Women’s Amateur Championship throughout the week, from the beautiful Country Club of Charleston in North Carolina.

The Trojans kicked off the first day of action in fortuitous fashion, fighting off tough conditions and an equally strong playing field. Sophomore Annie Park finished amongst a trio for the Women of Troy shooting a 74 (+3) on the afternoon, following her impressive NCAA Singles and Team Championship.

The opening rounds of golf will be followed by a 64-person match-play championship running from Thursday through Sunday, August 11th. With 156 women in the field, the Trojans are currently in prime position to secure bids for all six of their participants in the match-play rounds, a remarkable feat for the nationally-recognized program only reloading for another fun-filled campaign.

Equal with Park in the standings was senior Sophia Popov (+3), this after losing some major ground shooting a triple bogey on the final hole of the round. Dynamic senior running-mate Sophia Popov shot (+3) on the afternoon as well but followed in her veteran teammate’s footsteps in the final hole, in an otherwise outstanding opening round of the tournament.

Sophomore Kyung Kim started the day in fantastic fashion after birdying three of the first eight holes, but wobbled down the stretch on the difficult Country Club (N.C.) course. She finished +4 on the round. Last season Kim, an undeclared major, was selected as a WGCA All-American Scholar.

Freshmen-to-be Gabriella Then (+2) and Karen Chung (+6) also took center stage in the first day of action for the Amateur Championship. The Rancho Cucamonga native Then stole the spotlight for the Trojans, parring 12-of-the-18 holes to stand only four shots off the lead.

Four of the five members of USC’s 2013 NCAA Championship team as well as two incoming freshmen are in the midst of an elite-level competition. As for the USC tee times on Tuesday, Annie Park will lead off the Trojans hopes at 9 a.m. EST with Gabriella Then and Kyung Kim finalizing the slate at 1:20 p.m. EST. Here is a link to the full tee times, history and tournament slate for the Amateur Championships.

Coached by Anna Gaston in the midst of her 18th-season at the helm, the Women of Troy cast their 2013-2014 season opener September 9th-10th at the Fall Preview in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The opening is filled with excitement as the roster features four returning starters from the dominant 2013 National Championship squad that took home the crown over Duke by a record 21-stroke margin.