Ree earns first collegiate victory for powerful USC

   When Radnor High senior Brynn Walker and Council Rock North senior Madelein Herr saw their bid for the title in the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship halted in the semifinals on the Pacific Dunes Course at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. last spring, they fell to a couple of pretty tough customers.

   Walker and Herr fell, 3 and 2, in the semifinals to Hannah O’Sullivan of Chandler, Ariz. And Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach, Calif. O’Sullivan and Ree went on to fall to Rinko Mitsunaga and Mika Liu in the final.

   All O’Sullivan did was go on to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur title in August at the Portland Golf Club. And Ree’s name popped up this week as the USC freshman captured her first collegiate individual title to lead the Trojans, ranked No. 1 by Golfweek, to the team crown in the Golf Rush at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, Calif.

   Ree had rounds of 70, 71 and 71 over the Old Ranch Country Club layout for a 4-under 212 total to lead a sweep of the top three positions for the powerful Trojans. USC lost to Pac-12 rival Stanford, 3-2, in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, contested at match play for the first time, last spring, but the Trojans may be tough to deny this season. The Gold  Rush was their third team title of the season and first of the spring campaign.

   Amy Lee (74-70-69), a sophomore from Brea, Calif., was a shot back of Ree in second at 3-under 213 and Tiffany Chan (75-68-71), a junior from Hong Kong, was third at 2-under 212. The Trojans had rounds of 286, 285 and 292 for a 1-under 863 total that was 18 shots better than runnerup Fresno St. and 27 shots clear of host Long Beach St. in third.

   By the way, O’Sullivan, who, as far as I can tell, should be teeing it up at Rolling Green Golf Club in 155 days to begin defense of her U.S. Women’s Amateur title, will be rejoining her Four-Ball partner Ree at Southern Cal in the fall. The rich get richer.

   In a post a few weeks ago, I updated you on the progress of some of the members of the winning United States team from that 2009 Walker Cup Match held at Merion Golf Club’s historic East Course.

   Well, don’t look now, but at the top of the leaderboards at the halfway point of two tournaments a half a world apart are none other than arguably the two most talented players from that U.S. team, Rickie Fowler and Peter Uihlein.

   Fowler fired a 4-under 66 Friday on the notoriously difficult PGA National layout to take a one-shot lead over Jimmy Walker at 8-under 132 at the halfway point of the Honda Classic.

   Uihlein does most of his work on the European Tour these days. He added a 4-under 68 Friday to his opening-round 65 to share the 36-hole lead with Brett Rumford at 11-under 133 in the Perth International in Australia.