Stroke-play medalist Whitney Banz of BYU, 2020 champion Grace Summerhays of Arizona State and two-time champion Steph Belnap were eliminated Tuesday as the match play portion of the 119th Women’s State Amateur began, but six-time champion Kelsey Chugg’s quest to add another trophy to her sizable collection continued.
After an upset-filled day of Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches at Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway, eight golfers remain in contention to take home the crown.
Quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be conducted Wednesday, while the 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Thursday.
There weren’t a lot of surprises Tuesday morning, as most of the favorites moved on. That all changed in the afternoon, beginning when Banz was upset by Westminster College sophomore Ashley Lam.
Banz, a Salt Lake City native who played both basketball and golf at Westminster before transferring to BYU, had won medalist honors with a 4-under 68 on Monday. The rising redshirt junior downed Tabiona High School teacher Mikayla Jensen 6 and 4 in the morning, and led Lam early on the back nine before the Skyline High product rallied for the 3 and 1 win.
Lam is fairly accomplished in golf as well, having won medalist honors at the RMAC Women’s Golf Championships in Boulder City, Nevada last month, where she posted a three-day total of 8-under-par 208.
Wednesday, Lam will meet former Timpview and Weber State golfer Rachel Lillywhite in a quarterfinal match. Lillywhite pulled off a mild upset of her own, edging 2024 semifinalist Faith Vui of Samoa 1 up.
In the day’s second big upset, 2025 Lone Peak graduate Adley Nelson, who is headed for Weber State, downed Summerhays 2 and 1. The match was tied through 14 holes, but Nelson won 15 and 16 and halved 17 with the 2020 champion to move on.
Nelson, who helped Lone Peak win three state titles, will meet Kate Walker of St. George in another quarterfinal on Wednesday. Walker, who recently helped Crimson Cliffs High win the 4A state girls golf championship, defeated Paige Anae 4 and 3 to advance.
There weren’t a lot of upsets in the lower portion of the bracket, as No. 2 seed Berlin Long, No. 7 seed Arden Louchheim, No. 3 seed Chugg and No. 11 seed Aadyn Long advanced to the quarterfinals.
Long, a BYU golfer, will face Louchheim, a Park City native who plays for Nebraska, in a quarterfinal, while Chugg will face incoming BYU freshman Aadyn Long in Wednesday’s last quarterfinal match.
Neither Long nor Louchheim had to play past the 15th hole Tuesday, as Long blasted Hunter Gledhill and Reimi Bleyl, and Louchheim thumped Remi Rawlings and Belnap, who won the championship in 1994 and 1995.
Chugg, who is trying to become only the second woman in state history to win seven or more State Amateur titles, defeated Rosie Oettli 3 and 2 and Avery Kraatz 2 and 1 to make it to the quarterfinals once again.
Aadyn Long advanced by downing Kindra Hirasuna 1 up and Weber State golfer Brynn Bischoff, 1 up.
119th Utah Women’s State Amateur
At Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Club
Tuesday’s Round of 32 Matches
Top bracket
No. 1 Whitney Banz def. No. 32 Mikayla Jensen, 6 and 4
No. 17 Ashley Lam def. No. 16 Sydney Richards, 2 and 1
No. 8 Faith Vui def. No. 25 Raina Rimi, 1 up
No. 24 Rachel Lillywhite def. No. 9 Kennedee Pearson, 3 and 2
No. 29 Kate Walker def. No. 4 Natalie McLane, 1 up
No. 20 Paige Anae def. No. 13 Siriporn Luangnam, 1 up
No. 5 Grace Summerhays def. No. 28 Ellie Jo Olsen, 2 and 1
No. 21 Adley Nelson def. No. 12 Morgan Thomas, 7 and 6
Bottom bracket
No. 2 Berlin Long def. No. 31 Hunter Gledhill, 4 and 3
No. 18 Riemi Bleyl def. No. 15 Jane Olson, 6 and 4
No. 7 Arden Louchheim def. No. 26 Remi Rawlings, 4 and 3
No. 23 Steph Belnap def. No. 10 Lily Shin, 20 holes
No. 3 Kelsey Chugg def. No. 30 Rosie Oettli, 3 and 2
No. 14 Avery Kraatz def. No. 19 Mikaila Lieu, 2 and 1
No. 27 Brynnley Bischoff def. No. 6 Jenna Anderson, 5 and 4
No. 11 Aadyn Long def. No. 22 Kindra Hirasuna, 1 up
Tuesday’s round of 16 matches
No. 17 Ashley Lam def. No. 1 Whitney Banz, 3 and 1
No. 24 Rachel Lillywhite def. No. 8 Faith Vui, 1 up
No. 29 Kate Walker def. No. 20 Paige Anae, 4 and 3
No. 21 Adley Nelson def. No. 5 Grace Summerhays, 2 and 1
No. 2 Berlin Long def. No. 18 Reimi Bleyl, 5 and 3
No. 7 Arden Louchheim def. No. 23 Steph Belnap, 4 and 3
No. 3 Kelsey Chugg def. No. 14 Avery Kraatz, 5 and 4
No. 11 Aadyn Long def. No. 27 Brynnley Bischoff, 1 up
Wednesday’s quarterfinal matches
Ashley Lam vs. Rachel Lillywhite, 7:30 a.m.
Kate Walker vs. Adley Nelson, 7:40 a.m.
Berlin Long vs. Arden Louchheim, 7:50 a.m.
Kelsey Chugg vs. Aadyn Long, 8 a.m.
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