Sara Camarena of Mexico City captured her first tournament in California by outlasting Katherine Zhu of San Jose, 1 up, in the final of the 54th California Women’s Amateur Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz.
The 20-year old Camarena, who transferred to Cal State Fullerton from Oklahoma State during the spring, became the first foreign-born player to claim the title by making a three-foot par putt on the 18th hole.
“On the tee on 18, I knew I was still 1 up,” said Camarena, who played high school golf at Lake Travis High in Texas. “(Zhu) hit a nice shot (to about nine feet). I just wanted to be on the safe side. I wanted to hit a draw but my ball actually just went straight. It worked out.
“ … I was just making up-and-down everywhere. I was being a little bit more aggressive with some of my putts. I was making some of them coming back, so I just got lucky with that.
“ … It feels great.”
Camarena’s choked-up 8-iron shot on the 145-yard par-3 final hole stopped about three feet from the tucked front-right pin and proved to be the winner, one hole after she made a triple bogey that trimmed her lead to 1 up.
Said Zhu, who plays at Cal: “I had a slow start on my front nine; I wasn’t making any putts. Especially the short ones that technically, I should’ve made those. Back nine I got things running again and she just made some amazing up-and-downs on the back nine. That was the difference.”
In the semifinals, Camarena defeated Nicole Neal of Trabuco Canyon, 4 and 3, while Zhu got past Lauren Gomez of Murrieta, also by 4 and 3.
Past winners of the California Women’s Amateur include Shelley Hamlin, Amy Alcott, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, Emilee Klein, Andrea Gaston, Dorothy Delasin, Natalie Gulbis, Cory Weworski, Mina Harigae, Lynn Cowan, Marianne Towersey, Jennifer Johnson, Angel Yin and Amari Avery.
The California Women’s Amateur Championship played from its inception in 1967 until 1987 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The tournament moved to Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, where it was played through 2019.
For complete results, visit https://calam-54thcaliforniawomensamateurchampio.golfgenius.com/pages/5890974334821880671
