News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
TULSA, Okla. – Texas A&M’s Adela Cernousek defeated Vanderbilt’s Sarah Im, 1-up, in the first-round match of the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur at the Southern Hills Country Club on Wednesday.
Cernousek, the No. 9 amateur in the world according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking, took an early lead on Im by winning the first two holes of the bout. The 2024 NCAA Individual Champion maintained that lead and extended it to three at the turn. However, Im caught fire and tied the match on No. 13 with a birdie.
The Aggie and Commodore tied the next three holes until Cernousek holed a birdie on No. 17 to go up one with one to play. The Antibes, France, native closed the door on Im by matching her bogey on 18 to win, 1-up.
Cernousek takes on Kaili Xiao, who is the No. 43 ranked junior by the American Junior Golf Association, in the second round Thursday morning. If Cernousek wins, she will play the round of 16 match later in the day.
For more information on the U.S. Women’s Amateur and live stats, visit usga.org. Cernousek boasts a 6-5 record in match play during her career at Texas A&M, including a perfect 3-0 mark at NCAAs.
After six-victorious matches, a champion will be crowned at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. The championship match is set for Sunday and will be a 36-hole contest for the title. The winner will receive a gold medal and the Robert Cox Trophy for the next year. They will also earn exemptions to the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open and the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, if eligible. Additionally, an invitation to the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur will be awarded to the champion.
Cernousek is fresh off a three month stretch where she won the first Individual National Championship in program history, competed in three LPGA events and played for Team International at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup.