Walker claims medalist honors in Pennsylvania Women's Amateur qualifying

   Got a chance to say hello to Brynn Walker, the two-time PIAA Class AAA champion at Radnor, as she came out to support her soon-to-be North Carolina teammate Kelly Whaley, who was playing a first-round match in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green Golf Club last week.

   Walker didn’t have to tell me how much it was killing her to not be playing in the event at a course where she competed in high school matches. She was off to play some golf at St. Davids Golf Club. Watching golf isn’t as fun as playing it, especially when you’re as good a player as Walker is.

   It looks like Walker is moving on pretty quickly as she grabbed the qualifying medal in the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur Championship with a 69 at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Grace Course Wednesday. Walker is seeded second in match play with the top seed going to defending champion Katie Miller. Walker will open match play Thursday morning against former Central Dauphin standout Allison Cooper.

   Walker finished two shots ahead of Madelein Herr, who teamed with Walker quite successfully in the first two editions of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, reaching the semifinals in the inaugural playing at Bandon Dunes and the quarterfinals this spring at Streamsong. Madelein Herr, who did tee it up at Rolling Green, but failed to make match play, carded a 71.

   Madelein Herr’s older sister, Wake Forest junior Erica Herr, a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion at Council Rock North, led a group of three players tied for third at 72.

   Also at that figure is Aurora Kan, the 2010 Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion. Kan, a standout at Chichester and at Purdue, is coming off a solid showing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur as she survived a playoff before falling in the first round of match play.

   Former Parkland standout Kate Granahan also carded a 72.

   Meghan Fahey, the Inter-Ac League champion at Notre Dame this spring who will join the Agnes Irwin program, was alone in sixth place at 73. Fahey, who plays out of Overbrook Golf Club and Merion Golf Club, qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior at Ridgewood Country Club earlier this summer.

   Two other U.S. Women’s Amateur participants, former Lower Merion standout Alessandra Liu and former Pennsbury standout Jackie Rogowicz, a sophomore at Penn State, are among three players tied for seventh at 74. Rogowicz was a casualty in the nine-for-five playoff to make match play at Rolling Green and Liu was just a shot out of that playoff. Shannon Weber also had a 74.

   Isabella DiLisio, the Notre Dame sophomore who won the 2014 Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur at Bent Creek Country Club, finished in a tie for 11^th at 75 with two-time reigning Pennsylvania Girls Junior champion Kaitlyn Lees, a junior at Agnes Irwin.

   Cara Basso, a sophomore at Penn State and the 2012 PIAA Class AA champion at Villa Maria Academy, was another shot back in 13^th at 76.

   Some of the interesting first-round matches Thursday morning include Erica Herr taking on Lees, soon-to-be Penn State freshman Madelein Herr facing her soon-to-be Penn State teammate Basso and Fahey battling Rogowicz.