Clemson, SC—Clemson golfers Savannah Grewal and Isabella Rawl were both eliminated in the first round of match play at the 2023 United States Women’s Amateur on Wednesday. The Tournament is being played at Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
Grewal had shot consecutive rounds of 69 to finish at -2 and the #11 seed after 36 holes of stroke play, while Rawl was the #31 seed after rounds of 71 and 70 to finish in a tie for 25th.
Grewal was defeated by Caitlin Peirce of Australia in the first round, 1-up. Peirce, who was seeded #54 in the match play, but is the #29 ranked amateur in the world, won the first hole. But Grewal came back to win the second hole and did not trail again until the match ended on the 18th hole.
The two players tied holes 3-8, then Grewal won the ninth and 10th holes to take a 2-up lead. Peirce won the 12th hole with a birdie, then won the 16th with a par to tie the match. The two players tied the 17th making the match all tied heading to the 18th tee.
Both players hit their drives in the fairway, but Grewal’s second shot was short of the green and went into a bunker. Grewal made bogey and Peirce made a two-foot par putt to win the match. Grewal won her first round match last year and was trying to become the first Clemson golfer to win a match at the US Amateur in consecutive years.
Rawl, who just finished her freshman year at Clemson, faced University of New Mexico graduate Lauren Lehigh. Lehigh reached the final 8 of the US Amateur last year and finished 21st at the NCAA Tournament this past May.
Lehigh won the match 3& 2 thanks to winning four of the last six holes. The two players were tied after five holes, then Lehigh won the sixth to go 1-up. Rawl, who won the clinching match for Clemson at the ACC Championship this year, won the eighth and ninth holes with birdies to take a 1-up lead.
Lehigh then went on a run, winning the 11th, 12th and 13th holes to go 2-up. She then made birdie on 15 to go 3-up. When the players tied the par three 16th hole, Lehigh had a 3&2 victory.
Annabelle Pancake, who reached the Final 16 of the US Amateur last year, missed the cut for the 64-player match play championship by one shot. This marked the first time Clemson had three players qualify for the United States Women’s Amateur.
All three players return for Kelley Hester’s team this year.
