A pair of Arizona golfers have received invites to two of their sportsβ biggest tournaments β with one hitting the links on one of golfβs most storied venues beginning this Thursday.
Julia Misemer, a promising freshman for coach Laura Ianelloβs UA womenβs golf program this past year, earned her spot in this weekβs U.S. Womenβs Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Misemer took medalist honors at 8 under back on May 30 at a qualifying event at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale.
βIβve been to Pebble Beach a few times in the past, but Iβve never played here. So this is my first time playing. So far itβs been great,β Misemer said this week in an interview provided by the USGA. βToday was just kind of soaking in some of the more iconic holes.β
Misemer, of Overland Park, Kansas, will compete as an amateur in a field that includes a dozen golfers who have previously won the event β a list that includes World Golf Hall of Famer and UA legend Annika Sorenstam, a three-time U.S. Womenβs Open champion.
In addition to her first-place finish in Scottsdaleβs qualifier, Misemer recently finished 14th at the Southwestern Amateur at Desert Mountain Golf Club, also in Scottsdale. Near the end of her freshman season with the Wildcats, she finished second individually at the NCAA Tournamentβs Raleigh Regional and 11th at the Pac-12 Championships.
UAβs Christensen qualifies for The Open
Competing this week in England, UA menβs golf junior-to-be Tiger Christensen was the lone amateur from the West Lancashire Golf Club (Merseyside, U.K.) to earn a spot at this monthβs The Open Championship. Colloquially known as the British Open, The Open is slated for July 16-23 at Royal Liverpool.
Christensen, a native of Hamburg, Germany, finished with the Wildcatsβ second-lowest scoring average (71.68) this spring after transferring from Oklahoma State.