After three rounds at the 109th Southwestern Amateur, both the Men’s and Women’s divisions have co-leaders at 8 under par, setting up an exciting race to the finish on Saturday on the Outlaw Course at Desert Mountain.
The third round saw challenging pin positions and increasing temperatures, starting in the mid-70s and reaching the mid-90s, with winds averaging 5 to 8 mph and higher gusts in the early afternoon. Scoring continues to be good with red numbers and many players in contention.
Women’s Division: Nicola Kaminski of Los Gatos, California (pictured above) shares the lead with Leigh Chien of Irvine, California, both at 8 under par. Kaminski shot a 72, reflecting, “There were a lot of times I had to stay patient. I was struggling to make putts and trying to trust that they would drop. Statistically speaking, the putts will eventually go in.” Kaminski attends San Jose State.
Chien, who will attend Stanford in the fall, posted a bogey-free 67, with five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14. “I’m really excited to play on a team since golf is such an individual sport. Playing on a team will be different, and it’s something I’m looking forward to,” Chien commented.
>> Post-round interview with Leigh Chien
>> Post-round interview with Nicola Kaminski
Cindy Hsu from Taiwan, a junior at the University of Texas, also shot a 67, sitting one stroke back. Hsu made six birdies in a span of 10 holes between holes 4 and 13. “I try to hit every shot that my coach, who is also my caddy, gives to me and try to not think too much and just hit the shot that I want,” Hsu shared.
Lauren Gomez from Murrieta, California, and McKenzi Hall from Las Vegas are tied at 6 under. Gomez attends Pepperdine, while Hall plays for UNLV.
In all, 11 players are within 5 shots of the lead.
Men’s Division: In the men’s division, Johnny Walker from Chandler, Arizona, Ethan Wilson from Canada, and Hunter Swanson from Denver, Colorado, are tied for the lead at 8 under par. Walker, who plays for the University of Arizona, battled back with three birdies in his last six holes to shoot 71 after taking a triple bogey on the 9th hole. “I’ve matured a lot and I don’t let a lot get to me. Just get to the next step,” Walker said.
Swanson, who plays at the University of Colorado, recorded a steady round with three birdies and one bogey for a 70. “It wasn’t as great of a round as I had yesterday but it would’ve been hard to top that. I’ve been playing pretty steady consistent golf all day today. Never got in too much trouble,” he remarked.
Wilson, who plays at Illinois, had an up-and-down round through 12 holes but found his rhythm with an eagle on the 13th and a birdie on the 16th to finish strong with a 70. “It’s obviously unreal, perfect weather. It was a little windy today and I couldn’t figure out which way the wind was going, but unreal weather, I love it,” Wilson stated.
Brandon Robison from Centerville, Utah, sits in fourth place at 7-under. Robison is at the University of Utah. Cooper Humphreys from Canada had the low round of the day with a 68, moving to 4 under for the tournament.
>> Post-round interview with Ethan Wilson
>> Post-round interview with Hunter Swanson
>> Post-round interview with Johnny Walker
The men’s leaderboard is even more tightly packed than the women’s, with 21 players within 5 shots of the lead after three rounds.
The final round continues tomorrow with the men’s division teeing off between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM, and the women’s division between 8:30 AM and 9:30 AM.