June 23, 2009

U.S. Women’s PubLinks Match Play Bracket

DEVENS, Mass. – Rising senior Taylor Barrett and rising sophomore Katie Burnett both advanced to the match play portion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship on Tuesday as the South Carolina duo finished one stroke apart after 36 holes of medal play at Red Tail Golf Club.

Barrett finished stroke play in a 13-way tie for 29th place at 4-over following rounds of 74-74=148. She posted a steady round Tuesday that featured a birdie along with just three bogeys to advance to the round of 64. It will be the second time the York, S.C., native has advanced past stroke play at the PubLinks Championship; she made it to match play in the 2004 event before falling in the first round.

Burnett, in her first trip to a USGA championship, advanced to the round of 64 with a tie for 43rd place, one stroke back of Barrett at 5-over. Hovering near the cut line after a 5-over 77 on the first day, the native of Brunswick, Ga., fired an even-par 72 on Tuesday that included four birdies to finish at 149 and earn a spot in the match play bracket.

The Gamecock duo will begin their match play competition Wednesday with Barrett teeing off at 11:57 a.m. and Burnett set for a 12:33 p.m. tee time. Barrett, seeded 42nd in the bracket, will be facing 16-year-old Briana Mao of Folsom, Calif. Burnett earned the 46th seed and will square off with Mari Chun, a recent Stanford graduate, in her first-round match. Results will be available as the day progresses on uswapl.org.