Jennifer Chang of USC and Cary, N.C., who recently announced that she is turning pro after earning her LPGA Tour card, has earned the points-based 2019 AmateurGolf.com Women’s Player of the Year Award.
The AmateurGolf.com Women’s Player of the Year is awarded based on a point system earned through performance in major women’s amateur events throughout the course of the year.
At USC, the 20-year-old Chang captured the Clover Cup and the NCAA Women’s West Regional by shooting 11-under 205 last Spring. She also finished fourth in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge and the PING/ASU Invitational, and was sixth in the Pacific 12 Conference Championship.
Chang was selected to the 2019 WGCA All-American team, and was named to the All-Pac-12 first team for the second straight year, in addition to being a finalist for the Annika Award and WGCA Player of the Year award.
In addition Chang won her U.S. Open Women’s Open Sectional Qualifier at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club and then made the cut in our national women’s championship at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston. S.C.
Later in the summer, Chang finished second in the Canadian Amateur Championship and was a quarterfinalist in the North & South Amateur.
Chang tied for third in the Windy City Collegiate Championship and finished eighth in the Annika Invitational in her two events for the Trojans during the 2019 Fall Season, while also entering LPGA Tour School Qualifying and finishing in a tie for 21st to advance to the Second Stage.
Then Chang finished 19th in Second Stage of LPGA Tour Qualifying and tied for ninth in the grueling eight-round marathon of the Final Stage of qualifying at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C.
Chang finished first in the point standings with 6,850 points, followed by Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach and Stanford at 6,400, and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland and Stanford at 5,700.
Maria Fassi of Mexico and Arkansas collected 5,500 points to tie for fourth with Kaitlin Pupp of Austin, Texas, and the University of Texas, while Gabriela Ruffels of Australia and USC was sixth at 5,400.
