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Women’s State Am qualifying: Ali Mulhall and Jenna Anderson are co-medalists and Annette Gaiotti makes match play at age 71

Ali Mulhall’s first swing from the fairway in a Utah Women’s State Amateur Championship nearly produced an eagle.

So even if she described her qualifying round in the 118th event as “pretty boring,” others would probably use more glowing descriptions for Wednesday’s performance.

Mulhall also chipped in for an eagle on No. 13, while making three birdies at TalonsCove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs to post a 65. She ended up tied for medalist honors with Jenna Anderson, a Utah Tech University golfer from Wisconsin, whose seven birdies came on the last 12 holes (including the final three).

Utah Tech’s Jenna Anderson reacts after making a 30-foot birdie on No.18 at TalonsCove. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

A 7-for-5 playoff among those who shot 81 completed the 32-golfer bracket for match play. Libby Ward and Reimi Bleyl (who didn’t return to the course for the playoff) were eliminated, while golfers of ages 16 (Whitni Johnson) and 71 (Annette Gaiotti) were among those advancing. Two rounds will be played Thursday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday and the 18-hole final match Saturday morning.

The 19-year-old Mulhall’s childhood includes some years in Morgan and the family of PGA Professional Chris Mulhall now is headquartered in Southern Utah. Ali Mulhall has been a Utah Junior Golf Association fixture, even while attending high school in Nevada, but had never played in the Women’s State Am.

Ali Mulhall’s length off the tee played to her advantage leading to two eagles at TalonsCove. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

She described herself as “looking forward to the format and getting to play with everybody in the state,” not citing the winner’s exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur as particular motivation.

The long-hitting Mulhall needed only a 7-iron for her second shot on the par-5 No. 1, listed at 488 yards, and knocked her ball within a foot of the hole. Having teed off in the first group, she said becoming the medalist would be “really cool, but the week’s definitely not over.”

Anderson was thrilled with “my first bogey-free round ever,” having just hoped to make match play after being unhappy with her previous summer performance. “This is kind of a breakthrough, I guess, in my game,” she said.

Playing later in the day, Jenna Anderson’s (-7) 65 matched Ali Mulhall’s performance as the two earned co-medalist honors. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

In the absence of BYU golfers, who are touring Ireland this month, Utah Tech golfers took four of the top 16 seeds for match play. The Trailblazers’ Mia Cesarek, who tied for third with Utah Valley University’s Pati Uluave at 69, was followed by Utah Tech teammates Jane Olson, a 2023 semifinalist, and Samantha Phelan.

For the second consecutive year, former champion and last year’s runner-up Grace Summerhays returned to compete in the Women’s State Am. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

Grace Summerhays, the 2020 champion and 2019/2023 runner-up, was joined at 70 by her cousin, Sydney Richards. Five-time champion Kelsey Chugg and Natalie Mclane posted 71s to claim top-eight seeds.

Other notable developments Wednesday:

Faith Vui, the 2023 New Zealand Women’s Amateur champion, posted a 75. Vui, who’s from Samoa and regularly visits relatives in Saratoga Springs, finished second to pro Kerstin Ngakuru this month in the Utah Golf Association’s Mary Lou Baker Open. She was a Women’s State Am quarterfinalist last summer at Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club.

Sage Parry, a ninth-grader from Las Vegas who plays in UJGA events, turned in the craziest scorecard of the day. She qualified for match play with an 80, while parring only Nos. 1, 5 and 18. Parry made three straight double bogeys (Nos. 6-8), four straight birdies (Nos. 10-13) and four straight bogeys (Nos. 14-17).

Senior golfers collectively have benefited from the UGA’s 2021 move to 32 golfers for match play. TalonsCove General Manager Kareen Larson (78) made match play for the second year in a row as a 50-over player. Steph Belnap, the Farmington High School girls golf coach (not the same Stephanie Belnap who’s a two-time champion) and Gaiotti advanced from the playoff, while 2023 Senior Women’s State Amateur finalists Roberta Scott (82) and Nuny Khamken (83) came close.

Sixteen players shot 75 or better, which would have been the cut line for match play in the format used by the UGA from 2010-20. Prior to 2010, the tournament was conducted in stroke play for almost 50 years.

As always, there were some sad stories of near-misses in the qualifying round. Molli Mulhall, Ali’s younger sister, made three double bogeys on the back nine, including No. 18, and missed the playoff by one stroke. Brynnley Bischoff also shot an 82, making an 8 on the par-5 No. 15. And Bridgette Volk made a 9 coming out of a steep bunker right of the green on No. 18, ending up two shots out of the playoff.

Utah Women’s Amateur stroke play qualifying story written by Fairways Media senior writer, Kurt Kragthorpe.