Fahey comes close in U.S. Girls' Junior Amateur qualifier at Silver Creek

   Meghan Fahey, a senior at the Academy of Notre Dame who won the Inter-Ac League title last month, just missed earning a spot in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur in a qualifier held Wednesday at Silver Creek Country Club in Hellertown.

   The qualifier drew a field that included some of the top junior players in the country and some international standouts as well.

   Fahey, a member at Merion Golf Club and Overbrook Golf Club, carded a 4-over 76 over the 6,084-yard-par-72 Silver Creek layout to miss the final qualifying berth by a shot.  She did earn first-alternate status for the U.S. Girls’ Junior, which will be held July 18 to 23 at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

   Medalist honors went to Youngin Chun of Cedar Park, Texas who matched par with a 72. The 16-year-old earned her third trip to the U.S. Girls’ Junior.

   Valery Plata of Colombia finished second with a 2-over 74. The 15-year-old earned her second straight berth in the U.S. Girls’ Junior.

   Two other high-powered juniors, Kyra Cox of South Salem, N.Y. and Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., earned the last two tickets to the U.S. Girls’ Junior, each carding a 3-over 75.

   Cox, a 16-year-old junior at John Jay High School, finished third in the 14-to-15 division in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, which kicked off Masters week at Augusta National Golf Club in April.

   Wang, a 16-year-old junior at San Marino High School, qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior for the fourth straight year. She is coming off a tie for sixth in last weekend’s American Junior Golf Association Rolex Girls Junior Championship in Rochester, N.Y.

   Wang also teed it up in the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer at the Jersey Shore earlier  this month, earning a spot in the event with her victory last summer in the Junior PGA Championship.

   Conestoga sophomore Samantha Yao also had a strong showing at Silver Creek with a 5-over 77. Agnes Irwin junior Kaitlyn Lees, the runnerup to Fahey at the Inter-Ac tourney, carded an 80. Brianna Marmorstein, a junior at Notre Dame who, along with Fahey, helped the Irish claim their eighth straight Inter-Ac title, had an 82. Radnor senior Gabriella Kim, who won the PIAA Class AAA East Regional title and helped the Raiders claim the PIAA Class AAA team title, posted an 84.