Park Rallies to Reach Final of WSGA Championship

May 24, 2012

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami sophomore Rika Park has made it through 72 holes of competition to advance into the final round of the WSGA Championship. Earlier today two Southeastern Conference golfers went down by the hands of Park, who has caught fire in her first amateur event since the end of the NCAA season.

The early quarterfinal match at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., saw Park, paired up against University of Alabama Danieila Lendl. Lendl, a native of Vero Beach, Fla., fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough as Park dispatched the Crimson Tide one-up to advance into the semifinals.

In the semifinal round, Park met University of Georgia’s Collins Bradshaw. It would be a tough match as they would trade birdies and bogeys throughout the round. At the 13th hole, Park was down two, but rallied back by winning holes No.15, 16 and 17 and clinching a 2-and-1 win and a place in the finals.

“I’m excited about making it this far in the tournament,” said Park. “Match-play for me has a different type of pressure than stroke-play, and I feel more confident playing in this style.”

In the final stage of the WSGA Championship, Park will meet against Tusculum College’s Emee Herbert, who earlier today beat out Kathryn Fowler (Ole Miss) 3-and-2 in the quarterfinal, and Maia Schechter (UNC-Chapel Hill) two-up in the semifinal round.

The last Cane to ever place at the WSGA Championship was All-American Penny Hammel, where she finished second to Lynda Brown of Fort Myers, Fla. in 1983.

Tee time for the championship match is at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 25. Make sure to check back with us at HurricaneSports.com or on Twitter at @hurricanesgolf for the latest news and updates.