June 24, 2009

South Carolina golfers Taylor Barrett and Katie Burnett both won their first-round matches on Wednesday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship and have advanced to the round of 32, which begins Thursday morning at Red Tail Golf Club.

Barrett never trailed in her match and defeated 16-year-old Briana Mao of Folsom, Calif., 2 up. Barrett went 2-up by winning the third and fifth holes, but Mao charged back to win the eighth and ninth as the pair made the turn all square. Barrett won the 11th hole with a birdie at the par-3, but bogeyed the 15th while Mao made birdie to bring the match back all square with three holes to play. The rising senior native of York, S.C., would charge back, winning the 16th with a par and then was dormie going to the 18th, which she birdied to win 2 up.

Burnett had a tight match with recent Stanford graduate Mari Chun, but won two straight holes – the only two holes not halved the whole round – and held on to win her match, 2 and 1. The rising Carolina sophomore and Chun were all square through eight holes, then Burnett birdied the 9th to go 1-up at the turn. A bogey at the par-5 10th by Chun gave Burnett another win to go 2-up, and the pair stayed even through the final seven holes as Burnett held on for the victory.

The second round begins Thursday morning with Barrett facing Canadian native and University of Louisville rising junior Sara-Maude Juneau at 9:09 a.m. Burnett will play two groups later, facing UCLA rising senior Sydnee Michaels at 9:27 a.m. Juneau defeated Carly Werwie in 20 holes in her first round match while Michaels downed Madison Pressel, 3 and 2. The third round would begin shortly after noon should either player win their second-round match. Live results can be followed at uswapl.org.