Colorado University Athletics
Gillian Vance and Kirsty Hodgkins
Buffs Set To Compete At U.S. and International Stages In August
August 03, 2018 | Women's Golf
BOULDER — The 2018-19 University of Colorado women's golf season is just around the corner, but before it all starts, a couple of Buffaloes will be competing in a pair of prestigious meets.
Senior Gillian Vance is set to play in the U.S. Women's Amateur, August 6-12, at The Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston Springs, Tenn., while junior Kirsty Hodgkins will play in the World Amateur Teams Championship in Ireland, August 29-Sept. 1.
Qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur is not easy. Vance, a Lakewood, Colo. native, tied for second at the U.S. Amateur qualifier last month, shooting 1-under (71) at the 18-hole, 6,457-yard Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.
"All the qualifiers out of Colorado shot under par, so it's a very elite field, and of course it's a championship of the United States, so just to get in it's great," head coach Anne Kelly said. "I think it will be great experience for her playing on that course in Tennessee and against great competition."
The field will contain 156 women who will play 36-holes in the first two days. The top 64 women will advance to match play before a winner will be crowned.
"She's a good little match player so if she can get into the match play portion that would be great," Kelly said.
FS1 will broadcast the tournament live on TV from 2-5 p.m., August 8-10. On August 11, from 8-11 a.m., FS2 will broadcast the event. The finals on August 12 will be televised live on FS1 from 12-3 p.m.
At the end of the month, Hodgkins (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) will represent her home country at the World Amateur Team Championships at Carton House Golf Course in Maynoord, Ireland. Each team plays 18-holes of stroke play for four days.
"The World Amatuer is another prestigious event, so every country that's really active in golf has a three-woman team and they represent their country," Kelly said. "It's very hard to get on to the team. Australia has some great golfers, so for her to even just be named to the team is quite an honor. And then they will be playing against the best women in the world."
The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur competition conducted by the International Golf Federation, which comprises national governing bodies of golf in 151 countries. The competition is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe-Africa.
Colorado's women's golf program is coming off an outstanding 2017-18 season having qualified for its second NCAA Championship. This summer experience for these two, as well as the other tournaments members of the team have participated in, will no doubt help the Buffs as they move into the next season.
"I think that having that experience at that high of level under your belt is great, especially getting ready for our tournament season," Kelly said "Plus representing our program. We have a good program and just for them to be out there in those big-time world events does wonder for the University of Colorado and Colorado women's golf."
Senior Gillian Vance is set to play in the U.S. Women's Amateur, August 6-12, at The Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston Springs, Tenn., while junior Kirsty Hodgkins will play in the World Amateur Teams Championship in Ireland, August 29-Sept. 1.
Qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur is not easy. Vance, a Lakewood, Colo. native, tied for second at the U.S. Amateur qualifier last month, shooting 1-under (71) at the 18-hole, 6,457-yard Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.
"All the qualifiers out of Colorado shot under par, so it's a very elite field, and of course it's a championship of the United States, so just to get in it's great," head coach Anne Kelly said. "I think it will be great experience for her playing on that course in Tennessee and against great competition."
The field will contain 156 women who will play 36-holes in the first two days. The top 64 women will advance to match play before a winner will be crowned.
"She's a good little match player so if she can get into the match play portion that would be great," Kelly said.
FS1 will broadcast the tournament live on TV from 2-5 p.m., August 8-10. On August 11, from 8-11 a.m., FS2 will broadcast the event. The finals on August 12 will be televised live on FS1 from 12-3 p.m.
At the end of the month, Hodgkins (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) will represent her home country at the World Amateur Team Championships at Carton House Golf Course in Maynoord, Ireland. Each team plays 18-holes of stroke play for four days.
"The World Amatuer is another prestigious event, so every country that's really active in golf has a three-woman team and they represent their country," Kelly said. "It's very hard to get on to the team. Australia has some great golfers, so for her to even just be named to the team is quite an honor. And then they will be playing against the best women in the world."
The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur competition conducted by the International Golf Federation, which comprises national governing bodies of golf in 151 countries. The competition is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe-Africa.
Colorado's women's golf program is coming off an outstanding 2017-18 season having qualified for its second NCAA Championship. This summer experience for these two, as well as the other tournaments members of the team have participated in, will no doubt help the Buffs as they move into the next season.
"I think that having that experience at that high of level under your belt is great, especially getting ready for our tournament season," Kelly said "Plus representing our program. We have a good program and just for them to be out there in those big-time world events does wonder for the University of Colorado and Colorado women's golf."
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