By Jordan Hansen
Hawkeye Jessica Ip is headed to the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championships.
The Iowa junior finished second in a qualifier at Brampton Golf Club in Ontario, Canada. She carded a 71 (par) and was one of three golfers to finish at or below par.
“I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into today, because I haven’t been hitting the ball well the past couple of weeks,” Ip said in a release. “I think that mindset actually ended up helping me, because I wasn’t overly worried. I’ve been working on my short game, and that helped me save a couple of crucial strokes.
“Overall, it was a pretty stress-free round, and everything came together.”
Originally from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Ip had a solid fall season for Iowa before not doing nearly as well during the spring season, culminating in a tied-for-54th finish at the Big Ten Championships in April.
Regardless, getting some extra golf in over the summer will be huge going into her junior year. The incredibly talented Amy Ihm is now gone, leaving a major void in leadership. It will need to be filled by someone, and there’s no reason it could not be Ip.
However, it’s fair to say Ip has other things on her mind at the moment.
“The U.S. Amateur is a huge event with a lot of great competitors, and I’m excited to see how I compete against some of the best amateurs in the world,” she said. “No matter the outcome, it will definitely be an experience that I can grow from.”
Competition for the event is set for Aug. 1-7 at the Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
