Gant Reaches Final Eight at U.S. Women's Amateur
8/12/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Aug. 12, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State junior-to-be Kasey Gant (Fort Wayne, Ind.) reached the final eight at the U.S. Women?s Amateur Championship this week in Asheville, N.C., before bowing out in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon. The 99th U.S. Women?s Amateur is being played at the 6,202-yard, par-72 Biltmore Forest Country Club.
Gant posted three wins in match play Wednesday and Thursday before losing to Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, 2 and 1 (Ochoa led by two holes with one to play), on a match televised by ESPN.
Gant was two holes down through the 12th hole against Ochoa before posting back-to-back birdies thanks to long putts on No. 13 and No. 14 ? her first birdies of the day. Both players shot par on 15, but Ochoa won No. 16 when Gant bogeyed after her approach shot went just past the green.
Gant?s tee shot on No. 17 found a hazard on the left side of the fairway, costing her one penalty stroke. She rebounded to bogey the par 4 hole, but Ochoa made her par putt to win the match.
Gant defeated three All-Americans ranked among the top 20 golfers in the nation last year by Golfweek en route to the quarterfinals. Wednesday morning she defeated Jenna Daniels of Arizona, the seventh-ranked college player, in 19 holes. That afternoon Gant defeated 19th-ranked Krissie Register, also of Arizona, 3 and 1. Thursday morning Gant beat Tennessee?s Young-A Yang, who was ranked 10th in the nation by Golfweek, 3 and 2. Gant shot a 78 to qualify for the tournament and fired a two-round 149 to make it to match play.
Gant is a two-time All-Big Ten selection for the Spartans, the first Michigan State player to earn that honor twice in 10 years. She holds three school records and last spring helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.