Neuhauser Advances at U.S. Amateur

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St. Louis, Mo – Virginia senior women’s golfer Whitney Neuhauser (Barboursville, Va.) used a a 1-up win over No. 48 Esther Lee (Los Alamitos, Calif.) to advance during the first day of match play at the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis. Neuhauser won the 13th hole with a par and the 16th hole with a birdie to pull away from Lee. She will face No. 49 Sydnee Michaels of Temecula, Calif., in Thursday’s round of 32.

Two of Neuhauser’s UVa teammates did not get through to the second round. Recent graduate Kristen Simpson lost in her opening to Cyna Marie Rodriguez of the Philippines in 19 holes. Calle Nielson fell to Jennifer Johnson (La Quinta, Calif.) 7&6.

Neuhauser advanced to the match play portion of the tournament by tying for 16th in the 36 holes of stroke play, shooting 3-over 145. Simpson tied for 20th at 4-over 146 and Nielson was 28th in stroke play at 5-over 147.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur is one of the United States Golf Association’s original three championships. It was first conducted in 1895, shortly after the inaugural U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. The Women’s Amateur has since been conducted every year except 1917-18, when it was temporarily suspended because of World War I, and 1942-45, when it was suspended because of World War II.