USGA Info
Clemson, S.C.—Clemson senior Alexandra Swayne and freshman Katherine Schuster will begin play in the United States Women’s Amateur on August 2 at Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY. Swayne has been a starter each of the last three years for the Clemson program, while Schuster will begin her Clemson career in September.
Swayne tees off on the 10th hole a 7 a.m. Monday and Schuster begins play on the first hole at 12:11 p.m.
Swayne qualified for the US Amateur through the 72-player tournament at Walnut Grove Country Club in Dayton. She finished third with a score of three-under par 69. Schuster qualified through the 65-player tournament at Carolina Trace Golf Club in Sanford, NC where her 72 was second best.
The US Amateur will include 36 holes of a stroke play qualifier over August 2 and 3. The top 64 players will then move to a match play format that will begin on August 4 and conclude with the championship match on Sunday, August 8. A record 1560 players attempted to qualify for the national tournament at 26 different sites.
Swayne has had an outstanding summer. She qualified for the United States Open in June. Although her 152 score did not qualify for the final two rounds, she did finish sixth among amateurs and ahead of 34 professionals. The native of the Virgin Islands is the first Clemson golfer to qualify for the US Open and the US Amateur in the same year.
Swayne has started each of the last three years for Kelley Hester’s team. This past year she was fourth in the team in stroke average with a 75.33 average. She had three top 25 finishes, including a career best ninth-place finish at the Palmetto. She also had a top 25 at the NCAA Columbus Regional with a number-24 finish, second among Clemson golfers.
Schuster comes to Clemson from North Carolina where she became just the second player in high school women’s golf history to win four straight North Carolina state championships. The only other golfer to do it is Jennifer Chang (2014-17) who is now an All-American at Southern California. Schuster has been ranked among the top 25 players in the nation in her class by the AJGA and Golfweek.
Swayne and Schuster have a significant accomplishment in common as both were champions of the 14-15 age group at the National Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National. Swayne won the age group in 2015 and Schuster won it in 2018.
