The SCGA Foundation selected some of the best golfers in Southern California earlier this year to participate in the fresh&easy-Kraft Foods Legacy Junior Challenge, an event that paired Southern California junior girls with LPGA legends for an inspirational round of golf. The quality of golfers in the event was validated last week when participant Alice Jeong of Torrance made it to the semifinals of the USGA’s Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship.
“My goal coming into the event was to make the cut for match play,” she said. “I knew that many great junior and collegiate players were coming out, so I had to play my best. When I made the cut, I was ecstatic – it was my first-ever match play experience. Making it to the semifinals of a national championship like WAPL was unexpected. I take it as a blessing and I am very thankful to my family and friends who supported me throughout each rigorous match.”
Jeong put together rounds of 71 and 74 to finish tied for 28th in the stroke play portion of the event before cruising through her first round of match play. She was then pitted against No. 1 seed Lisa McCLoskey in the Round of 32, but managed to pull off the upset 1-up. Jeong eventually lost to Kyung Kim 3 and 2 in the semifinal.
Jeong, who is entering her senior year at North Torrance High School, plans to play in several tournaments this summer. She has already verbally committed to join Cal’s golf team in the fall of 2013, and credits her time playing in the Legends Junior Challenge as a real gauge for her game.
“Playing with legends like Nancy Scranton and Patty Sheehan was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “I had a wonderful time learning from them. I gained so much confidence from that event, knowing that I could compete with the top Southern California golfers.”
