With a record 28 amateurs in the field, of which 10 are juniors (18 or under), one might think that just being low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open might be good enough for Taylore Karle.
That would be incorrect.
The 16-year-old junior-to-be from Scottsdale’s Notre Dame Academy doesn’t think along those lines. It goes against her nature.
“I always play to win,’’ said Karle, who is competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open. “Being low amateur would be nice, but I don’t focus on that.
“I always feel if I play my best, I can win.’’
Such moxie could be interpreted the wrong way. But Karle is just part of a new brigade in young women that relies heavily on positive thinking. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with it, as long as people understand that Karle is a cool kid who accompanies such statements with a big smile.
“I kind of look at this like when I played in the men’s Arizona Open last summer,’’ she said. “That course (Troon Country Club) was 7,100 yards, and I shot 74 in the first round, so I can do this, too.’’
At 6,616 yards (par 71), storied Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I., is the second-longest course in U.S. Women’s Open history. And if that’s not enough, Karle added, it’s been raining all week.
“It’s going to be long and tough, but I’m excited,’’ she said. “I feel like I’ve got the distance off the tee to make all the carries. And I feel like I belong, like I can compete against these really great players.’’
Karle, who turned 16 on Monday, is the third-youngest participant in the 156-player field. She joins fellow Scottsdale amateurs Amanda Blumenherst, a 19-year-old freshman at Duke, and Esther Choe, a 16-year-old, senior-to-be at Cactus Shadows High School, in the crowded kiddie corp.
“I’m having so much fun,’’ Karle reported of the practice sessions leading up to the 72-hole event, which runs today through Sunday. “Morgan Pressel is one of my best friends, and we’ve been able to play a lot (of practice rounds) this week – when it’s not raining.’’
Even though this is the first time Karle has played against seasoned pros from the LPGA, it’s not her first national championship. That came last summer, when she set the record for medalist honors in the U.S. Girls Junior Championship with rounds of 63-67 (12-under par).
“It’s just been such a great week, and we’re treated so wonderful,’’ she said of the hoopla surrounding the Open. “Seriously, it makes me want to be a pro right now.’’
But before every college coach in the country seizes up, relax. Karle said she still plans on going to school despite her infatuation with the good life on tour.
“In no particular order, I’m looking at Stanford, ASU, UA, Pepperdine and UCLA,’’ she said. “I love it out here, but I definitely plan to go to college.’’
And that won’t change, she added, even if she achieves her lofty goal of winning the U.S. Women’s Open.
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