Two months after failing to finish in the top 20 at the Mid-American Conference Championship, Ball State University golfer Kristtini Cain is looking for redemption.
Cain will begin her first round of golf today in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at the Red Tails Golf Club in Devens, Mass. The Championship is the biggest amateur tournament held by the Unites States Golf Association (USGA).
"It's a very prestigious event," Ball State women's golf coach Katherine Mowat said. "Anytime you get the chance to play in that event, it's a real honor."
Cain advanced to the championship after finishing second in the regional qualifier in Greenwood two weeks ago. Cain and 155 others qualified out of the starting field of 678.
Golfers will play 18 holes both Monday and Tuesday, after which time all but the lowest 64 golfers will be cut. The remaining golfers will play an 18-hole match, which will narrow the field to 32. This will continue through Saturday, with a 36-hole final.
The cut last year was 140 strokes with a par of 144.
"She has the potential to do very, very well," Mowat said. "She's a great player with an excellent mentality. She seems to do well in the midst of great competition."
If Cain were to win, she would receive a gold medal, the Robert F. Dwyer trophy and would be exempt from having to qualify for other Amateur Championships.
About 70 percent of the golfers competing in the championship are collegiate golfers, Mowat said. The rest of the amateurs will be comprised of golfers whose college eligibility has run out or are in high school.
Mowat said it is important for her players to continue playing in tournaments during the summer, though she is not allowed to require them to compete in tournaments.
"They know the importance of continuing to play," Mowat said. "The more you play, the better you're going to be. If they have a great summer of tourney play, it will carry over into the season."
Mowat passes on e-mails, letters and pamphlets she receives from tournaments to her players, she said. She makes sure her players are aware of tournaments in the area. Mowat said on average, her players will play in three or four major state or USGA tournaments during the course of the summer. The most common tournament they compete in is the Indiana Open, which will be held July 7 to 10 at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course in Speedway.
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