Darr, Blonien enjoy first round of U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills
By Ben Hutchens
Lucy Darr wasn’t expecting to hit one of the best 5-irons of her life, and it cost her.
Darr stepped onto the eighth tee box at Southern Hills Country Club knowing she didn’t bring her best game with her to the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur.
When hitting the ball well, Darr said she hits her 5-iron about 190 yards. Monday, she thought her 5-iron would be perfect for the 183 yards to the hole. Darr struck the ball perfectly —too perfectly— and sent the ball bounding over the green into a hazard.
“It was my best shot of the day and it turned into a double (bogey),” Darr said.
Darr, a Stillwater native bound for Oklahoma State University’s golf team in the fall, responded on the ninth hole, rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt. Darr shot a 74 (+3), which places her tied 35th the field of 156. Also representing the state of Oklahoma is Natalie Blonien of Altus and OSU sophomore Ellie Bushnell. Both Blonien and Bushnell are in a tie for 94th after shooting 78 (+7).
Representing the Philippines, Rianne Malixi fired a 4-under 67 leads the field after day one. Defending champion Megan Schofill of Auburn shot a 1-under 70 and sits tied for sixth.
After Darr’s birdie on nine, her father and caddy, Donnie Darr, cracked a smile as he trudged up the hill to meet the embrace of a small gallery of fans.
The smile, Donnie said, was because of the way his daughter recovered after a good shot equaled a bad result. But there was perhaps more behind the smile than just a birdie. Donnie is a professional golf coach who helped guide the Oklahoma State men’s team to a national championship in 2018. He said doesn’t get to assist Lucy as often as people think and the only times he has caddied for her are this week at the U.S. Women’s Amateur and a qualifying tournament in July.
“It’s fun to be inside the ropes and have a chance to help her,” Donnie said. “She’s really underdeveloped as a player because she’s just gotten serious about golf two years ago. So, this is only her second summer of high-level golf so it’s fun to be able to try and help her.”
Having her father on the bag was a steadying presence. But because of the questionable state of her game entering the tournament, Lucy felt relaxed teeing it up as part of the tournament’s first group.
“I just wanted to play my own golf,” Darr said. “I thought, ‘I’m not hitting it good, and there’s a lot of good players here and I don’t know very many people here… so how I play doesn’t really matter.’ I just tried to go in with the mindset that however I play, it’s just good experience to be here in general and so I think that freed me up a little this morning.”
Blonien, who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur by outlasting a field that included Darr at the WOGA State Amateur in July, said she was satisfied with her round. Her card included a triple bogey on 10 and a double bogey on 12 but birdies in two of her final six holes.
“I think I played pretty solid for the mistakes I had,” Blonien said. “I recovered pretty well so there’s just some holes that got me a little stuck today. Each hole is a completely different ball game out here.”
Blonien, 17, is starting her collegiate career in the fall at the University of Arkansas. All around her Monday were more experienced players sporting college logos on their shirts and bags. Blonien played in a group with Kelly Xu, a WGCA Second Team All-American at Stanford and Purdue senior Ashley Kozlowski.
“I see myself just like they do,” Blonien said. “They see themselves playing for a great college. I’m about to play for a great college so I see myself like them. I’m only 17 and I’m guessing they’re about 20s, so I have a few years. I’ll be there. I’m already on the right track.”
Highlights from the first day of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Photos by Bill Powell.
