No. 1 Seed Advances to Quarterfinals at 100th Women’s Texas Amateur

Top-seeded Kenlie Barrett of The Woodlands posted a pair of lopsided match play victories on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur at River Crest Country Club.

Barrett, who shot a 2-under-par 68 in Tuesday’s 18-hole stroke play qualifying round to earn medalist honors, defeated Cari Denson of Hankamer, 8 and 7, in the morning Round of 32, then promptly went out and beat Kyle Fraser of Fort Worth by the same margin of victory in the afternoon Round of 16.

Barrett will take on Elina Sinz of Katy, who handily took down two of the top-ranked players on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Sinz, a sophomore at Auburn University, ousted No. 9 seed Kennedy Pedigo of Fort Worth, 6 and 5, in the afternoon after defeating No. 8 seed Sydney Givens of Austin, 7 and 5, in the morning.

Ellie Szeryk, 19, of Allen defeated defending champion Bentley Cotton of Austin, 1-up, in the Round of 16. Szeryk, a sophomore at Texas A&M, also scored a 1-up victory over Amelia McKee of Spring earlier in the day.

Szeryk will square off against No. 6 seed and UT commit Bohyun Park of Farmers Branch who bested Hannah Holzmann of San Antonio, 4 and 3, in the afternoon after defeating Eryn Garza of Montgomery, 6 and 4, in the morning.

Emma McMyler of San Antonio, who two weeks ago won the TGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, still has a chance of adding another major title to her resume this summer after reaching the quarterfinal round. A sophomore at Xavier University, McMyler had to go to the 19th hole in defeating Ava Schwienteck of Magnolia in the Round of 32. McMyler, 19, edged Faith Kilgore of Wimberley, 2 and 1, in the afternoon.

McMyler will face Oklahoma State University junior Hailey Jones. A two-time Texas Junior Amateur champion and semifinalist in last year’s Women’s Texas Amateur, Jones, 21, defeated No. 4 seed Reagan Gray of Missouri City, 4 and 3, in the Round of 16 after taking down Melissa Loh, also of Dallas, 6 and 4, in the morning.

In a match that is sure to have major implications – like household bragging rights as well as a spot in the semifinals – sisters Libby and Meagan Winans of Richardson will face each other in one of Thursday morning’s quarterfinals. Libby, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Oklahoma, edged by No. 4 seed Audrey Tan of Denton on the 19th hole in the afternoon after defeating Jordan Karrh of Frisco, 5 and 3, in the morning. Eighteen-year-old Meagan, who will be joining her older sister at OU this fall, earned her place in the quarterfinals by defeating No. 10 seed Megan Daleo of Plano, 2 and 1, in the Round of 32 and Camryn Carreon of San Antonio, 2 and 1, in the Round of 16.

The players who didn’t qualify for the Championship Bracket were divided into seven match play flights based on their World Handicap System Indexes as of July 23. All seven flights played their quarterfinals matches on Wednesday.

In the First Flight, Hanna Liu of Austin defeated Lauren Nguyen of Katy, 3 and 2. Patricia Sinolungan of Denton defeated Molly Murray of McKinney, 3 and 2. Trinity King of Arlington defeated Madigan Murray of McKinney, 4 and 3. Jordan Dusckas of Highland Village had a bye on Wednesday. Liu, Sinolungan, King and Dusckas all advanced to the First Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Second Flight, Hunter Nugent of Irving defeated Ellie Roth of Plano, 2 and 1. Anna Takahashi of Grapevine defeated Kaylee Vesely of Austin, 4 and 3. Madison Goldberg of Austin defeated Delaney Martin of Boerne, 4 and 3. Aysis Azarcon of Grand Prairie defeated Jensen Jalufka of Austin, 4 and 3. Nugent, Takahashi, Goldberg and Azarcon all advanced to the Second Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Third Flight, EG Messenger of Montgomery defeated Janane Tan of Coppell, 2 and 1. Rebecca Reed of Midland defeated Faith Delagarza, also of Midland, 6 and 4. Gabriella Tomanka defeated Annika Saidleman of Austin, 20 holes. Madison Head of Haslet defeated Brooke McDonough of Spicewood, 3 and 2. Messenger, Reed, Tomanka and Head all advanced to the Third Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Fourth Flight, Elle Fox of Copperas Cove defeated Gabbi Bentancourt of Frisco, 2-up. Meagan Pistone of Montgomery defeated Allie Bianchi of Allen, 4 and 3. Sarah Kmiecik of Houston defeated Kathryn McNease of San Antonio, 4 and 2. Eubin Shim of Woodway defeated Sophie Biediger of Dallas, 1-up. Fox, Pistone, Kmiecik and Shim all advanced to the Fourth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Fifth Flight, Caitlyn Lindell of Grand Prairie defeated Sydney Williams of Frisco, 4 and 3. Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Gabriela McNelly of Mico, 7 and 6. Gracie Heinle of Conroe defeated Mina Hardin of Fort Worth, 3 and 2. Brandee Fleming of Magnolia defeated Madison Ozuna of Edinburg, 6 and 5. Lindell, Wood, Heinle and Fleming all advanced to the Fifth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Sixth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville defeated Emily Ritchie of Fair Oaks Ranch, 3 and 2. Meghan Meserole of Austin defeated Destiny Arenas of Lubbock, 4 and 3. Jennifer Hoyt of Horseshoe Bay defeated Madison Brown of Kemp, 1-up. Ellie Rippee of McKinney defeated Camry Tardy of Arlington, 19 holes. Campise, Meserole, Hoyt and Rippee all advanced to the Sixth Flight semifinals on Thursday.

In the Seventh Flight, Nancy Beck of Dallas defeated Mallory Matthews of Hondo, 19 holes. Olive Henry of Ennis defeated Kathy Crumley of San Antonio, 3 and 1. Anna Schultz of Heath defeated Katherine Adelmann of Midlothian, 3 and 1. Piper Frisbie of Flower Mound had a bye on Wednesday. Beck, Henry, Schultz and Frisbie all advanced to the Seventh Flight semifinals on Thursday.

The quarterfinals and semifinals in the Championship Match Play Bracket will be played Thursday, starting at 8 a.m. Live scoring updates will be available  once the action gets underway from River Crest Country Club.

In celebration of its Centennial Championship this year, the Women’s Texas Amateur has returned to the place where it all started. Opened in 1911, River Crest Country Club hosted the first-ever Women’s Texas Amateur in 1916 and then again in 1922, 1932 and 1949. The historic club on the western edge of downtown also was the site of the Texas Amateur in 1917, 1922 and 1954.