By Lou Monaco, Contributing Writer
Photo/Lou Monaco
Washington, N.J – Julia Ford, who just graduated from Shrewsbury High School, spent the first part of her summer vacation not only preparing for her freshman year at the University of Virginia, but also trying to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship.
Ford shot a respectable 7-over 79 finishing in a tie for 39th place and missing the cut at June 29 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship Sectional Qualifying Round at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington, N.J.
Fifty seven golfers competed in the 18-hole event for five spots with two alternates and a spot in the 51st annual U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship to be played at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Penn. August 1-7.
Purdue senior August Kim took home medalist honors with a 3-under 69, upending three golfers by one shot and two golfers by two shots.
With four inches of rain the night before on the par-72, 6,268-yard layout, Ford teed off early at 8:10 a.m. and shot a 6-over 42 on the front nine with double bogeys on holes two and three, but rallied with a birdie highlight on the par-4, 352-yard eighth hole.
“I played two years ago trying out for this tournament and this was my second time trying to make it,” Ford said. “I was 7-over through five holes and I just started off terribly, but got myself together after the fifth hole and just said to myself ‘just play and finish the round’ and wound up even-par for the last 13 holes.”
“I just started hitting it better and felt more comfortable,” she added. “The first few holes were just not good at all and just stupid mistakes.”
The 18-year-old Ford bounced back nicely with a 1-over 37 on the back nine ending her round with a gorgeous tee-to-green approach for birdie on the par-4, 363-yard 18th hole.
“I was playing well at the end. It was just a rough start and disappointing the first few holes. Obviously, I go even for the last 13 holes, I can do it for the first five, so I played well at the end and it got better,” Ford said, who leaves for Charlottesville on UVA moving days August 19-20.
“I’m going to play the Challenge World Cup World Series and then defend my New England PGA Junior Championship and if you win that, you get to the Junior PGA Championship. Then, I play the Big ‘I’ Tournament in New England to try to make the national championship in the first or second week in August in California.”
Ford, the 2014 Massachusetts High School girls’ golf state champion as a sophomore, was selected on June 27 as a member of the Boston Herald’s All-Scholastic Girls Golf Team, an honor she has held three times. This past fall, she competed on the boys’ team and had a 37.6 scoring average, qualifying for the state tournament.
This past spring, Ford shared medalist honors at the state’s North sectional shooting a 75, then took home fourth place at the state tournament with an 81.
“I haven’t done anything to prepare for the move to college, which is pretty bad. I also work, so it’s been a lot to do this summer. I still don’t feel 100 percent confident in my game right now, because I haven’t had as much time in the past to practice and everything, but it’s all coming together and clearly I can do it, I just need to be more consistent,” said Ford. “I hopefully will be at those two national championships, so I should start to pack a ton of stuff right now.”
After finishing up in New Jersey, Ford hopped back in her car to drive four hours back home to Shrewsbury, where her suitcases and boxes will be awaiting.
Once she packs, watch out golf world.
Photo/Julia Ford
