A young amateur golfer from Quebec has achieved a real tour de force. Noémie Paré won a ticket in qualifying for the 76e United States Women’s Open, which will be played at the prestigious Olympic Club in San Francisco in a month.
The 23-year-old was literally in his bubble at Dedham Golf Club in the Boston area on Wednesday. In a day where she played 36 holes while braving the elements, she finished tied for first with the likeable pro golfer Christina Kim.
To measure the scale of the feat, Kim, 36 years old and five professional victories in his pocket, will be making his 17th appearance at the US Open. In 2010, she finished 8th at Oakmont.
And Paré almost beat her to the final hole without a missed roll. Regardless, author of successive rounds of 65 (-5) and 72 (+2) for a cumulative of -3, she had won her ticket and was already dreaming of her adventure to the largest women’s championship in the United States from 3 to 6 June in California.
“It’s one of my best tournament performances for a very long time,” said the Victoriaville golfer in an interview with Le Journal de Montréal on Thursday as she waited for the plane to bring her back to Florida. It’s like I’m in a bubble. Since January, I feel a lot of positive in my game. I made sparks and I gained consistency. All this means that this qualification fell into a very good day for me. ”
By defying mother nature, Paré among other things signed the best round of qualifying (65) among the fifty participants. It was really duck weather southwest of Boston for this important day. Cold, rain and wind were there. But that didn’t stop her from starting her first round with four birdies in a row. She then kept her pace and her composure until the early evening, when she made her dream come true.
Scarcity
“I’m still so excited that I haven’t really slept,” she said on the phone in the morning. People wanted to talk to me and congratulate me. It’s a dream that I finally realize. ”
Indeed, because few Quebec women have participated in the American Open. The young sensation Céleste Dao had competed in the 2017 and 2018 editions. On Wednesday, she could not remove one of the two tickets available in Massachusetts.
Photo courtoisie, MASS Golf
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In the process of qualifying for its major women’s championship, the Golf Association of the United States (USGA) is holding 22 36-hole events scattered across the country. In total, more than 1,500 golfers register to earn one of the roughly sixty rare tickets at stake. Paré won the 48th.
Quebecer Maude-Aimée Leblanc participated in the 2016 and 2013 editions, finishing respectively 26th and 50th.
Eyes on San Francisco
Now the young golfer who is a member of the National Amateur Team must prepare to face the cream of the world elite of women on a course that has hosted 10 US championships.
The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, the five-time host of the prestigious US Open, is a true masterpiece praised by the legendary Bobby Jones.
“I’m going to have to do some research and study the course before going there,” Paré said.
The Lake Course is characterized by its narrow fairways bordered by tree lines, small greens and elevations. Both precision and mastery of shots are essential. It is located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and the weather also plays an important role.
Dazzling progress
This qualification for the United States Open is a real consecration for Noémie Paré who has worked hard in the past year.
The Quebecker has worked hard both in training in the gym and on the courses during the pandemic. His coaches quickly noticed a meteoric progression, in particular thanks to his physical and psychological strength.
“Noémie hatched a little late. She had never competed at very high levels until last year. She therefore had less experience on the big stages of amateur golf, noted the coach of the national women’s team, Tristan Mullally.
“But for 18 months, it shows a meteoric progression, he chained in interview. She began to believe in her full potential. She is more confident and more consistent. She managed to register scores in the 60s whereas before she was used to higher cards. ”
Huge efforts
With her 23-year-old protégé with a degree in administration from Barry University in Florida, Mullally has, among other things, worked to ensure that she generates more speed in her tracks. Tall and athletic, Paré obtained the desired technical results.
“She also learned to play bigger tournaments. We also studied in depth the course of Dedham, place of the qualification, so that it can apply all its learnings. She was ready before she even got there.
“She really did a great job because she faced some strong rivals. She has learned a lot and it will come in handy both for the United States Open in a month and for the big amateur tournaments this summer. ”
His trainer in Florida, Frenchman Antoine Lebouc, also applauded his performance.
“I know how complicated these qualifications are. Places are so limited. Noémie impressed me, expressed this former pro. I take my hat off to her because she hangs on. She put a lot of effort into it.
“She must not forget that she is the patron of her game,” he added. It is especially important not that his technical side in search of the perfect momentum takes over. “
After the United States Open, Paré will try his luck at several amateur championships across North America. She will also compete in the National Women’s Amateur Championship at Royal Montreal this summer before heading to Rancho Mirage, California for the LPGA Q-School events.
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