The opening round of the IWGA Women’s Amateur Championship
saw higher scores than usual due to chilly and windy conditions at Tippecanoe
CC in Monticello, Ind. Indianapolis’
Julia Potter led the field today with a 2-over-par, 74 and put herself in a
good position to claim her third Women’s Am title.
“I didn’t have the proper warm-up I usually have this
morning but I just tried to keep in mind that the conditions were difficult for
everyone,” Potter said. “I knew that
pars would be good enough on most holes to keep me in contention.”
Potter struggled on the par-3s today, but made up for it on the
back nine after carding birdies on holes 10 and 18. Potter feels content with the position she is
in, but with a crowded leaderboard and a strong field anything can happen
during the remaining 36 holes.
“I don’t necessarily feel relaxed,” Potter said. “My goal is to keep myself in contention
heading into the final round. If I play
well tomorrow and put myself in a good position for Thursday’s round I will be
happy.”
Potter won back-to-back Women’s Ams in ’07 and ’08 and says
that this event has always been the most special to her throughout the years.
“For anyone who knew me back in my college days, this event
was one I always looked forward to,” Potter said. “To be able to win it again against this strong
of a field would give me a lot of confidence and would really mean a lot to me.
Potter is also an IWGA Match Play Champion (’09), a two-time
IWGA Player of the Year (’08, ’09), and the 2013 USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur
Champion.
Richmond’s Trish Witherby and Terre Haute’s Rachel Welker
are currently in a tied for second at 3-over-par, just one shot back.