Home Course shines in the national spotlight for USGA Women’s event

Fumie (Alice) Jo won the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, never trailing in her 3-and-2 victory over Eun Jeong Seong at The Home Course and forever etching her name in United States Golf Association history. Jo, 15, is the first USGA champion from the mainland of the People’s Republic of China. She is the second-youngest champion in WAPL history, following 13-year-old Michelle Wie in 2003.

She is also the final winner in the 38-year history of the Women’s Amateur Public Links, as the championship has been officially retired following completion of play at the Home Course in DuPont, Wash. which played the part of the perfect host for the event.

The University of Washington had three players in the final 32 of the match play but Soonbin Kim, Jennifer Yang and Eimi Koga all lost and failed to advance. Lucy Li, the 11-year-old darling of the U.S. Women’s Open, advanced to match play from the qualifying but fell in the first round.

Jo receives a gold medal and custody of the Robert F. Dwyer Trophy for one year. She also receives exemptions into the next two U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships and the next two U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships.

This was the final playing of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. Beginning in 2015, the USGA will conduct the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, with the first being held May 9-13 at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.