The final round of the 110th Canadian Women’s Amateur Golf Championship was supposed to be a showdown between the threesome in the last group.
But a quiet, unassuming teenager from California had other plans.
Yurang Li, an 18-year-old about to head into her sophomore year of NCAA golf at the University of Illinois, started Friday’s final round at Royal Colwood Golf Club five shots behind leader Momo Sugiyama. But while Sugiyama, who hails from Australia, struggled to a 4-over 76 on Friday, Li stuck to her game, playing in the group ahead of the ‘Big 3’, out of the spotlight and with seemingly no pressure, and posted a 3-under 69 to win her first championship on Canadian soil in just her second tournament north of the border.
“It hasn’t really processed yet, but I’m sure I’ll be crying shortly,” Li said right after watching runner-up Ashley Kozlowski miss a 15-foot putt on the 18th green that would have forced a playoff between the two Americans.
“My main goal was just to play 72 holes of solid golf,” added Li, who hails from Fullerton, California.
“Being five shots back coming into today, I really didn’t think I could win so the plan was just to play a really solid round of golf and I think I did that.”
Li parred the first seven holes she played Friday but then caught fire at the turn, birdieing holes 10, 12 and 14 to jump to the front. She then closed with four pars to put the pressure on Kozlowski, who entered the day one shot off the lead.
“Playing in the second to last group was little less stressful so that helped, but you still have to play good golf,” said Li. “I actually didn’t know I had the lead until the 18th hole. I’m not one to focus on scores so I was surprised after I finished my round.”
Minutes after Li finished, Kozlowski, who hails from Littleton, Colorado, was staring down a tough putt on 18 with a few hundred fans in the gallery watching.
“Just about had it. Finishing one back seems to be the story of my life right now,” Koslowski said after finishing with her second straight even-par 72.
Kozlowski, who just graduated from Purdue University with a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, says she knew she had to crank it up down the stretch to give herself a shot.
“I had my dad on the bag and he told me on 16 that I was one back so I just tried to give myself a shot at birdie on 17 and 18 but just came up a bit short.”
Kozlowski doesn’t have time to dwell on the close loss. She’s off to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship next week at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then it’s into the working world as an engineer.
“I’m just going to play amateur golf for a little while because I start a new job in Florida in September so I’m super excited about that, but we’ll have to see where golf takes me.
“Loved it here in sa国际传媒 though. It’s such a great golf course and beautiful area.”
Australian Caitlin Peirce was the third member of the final group on Friday and she shot a 1-over 73 to finish tied for third with Sugiyama, two shots back of Li.
Li, decked out in her Fighting Illini shirt, hat and bright orange golf bag, will now have to make another trip to sa国际传媒 next summer as the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion earns an exemption into the next CPKC Canadian Women’s Open. Next summer’s Canadian LPGA event is scheduled for the Mississauga Golf and Country Club in Ontario.
“That would be awesome to play that. I’ve had so much fun here this week. It’s a great golf course here and the Island just seems so cozy to me. I’m really glad I came here.”
The top Canadian in the tournament was Surrey’s Lauren Kim, who shot her third straight 1-under 71 to finish alone in fifth place. The top Island player for the week was Victoria’s Jiyue Wu, who shot 70 on Friday to finish tied for 22nd.
