PORTLAND, ORE. - It was a wait and see finish for who advanced to the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Portland Golf Club. What looked like a straightforward finish with seven players finishing at one-over par or better, was flipped into a playoff following a player disqualification during today's qualifier administered by the Oregon Golf Association.

Caroline Inglis (Eugene, Ore), who plays for the Oregon Ducks, took medalist honors with a one-under par 71, followed by her teammate Cathleen Santoso (Eugene, Ore.) at even-par 72. OSU player Ashlee Pickerell (Wilsonville, Ore.), 2015 Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur runner-up Ellen Secor (Portland, Ore.), 2015 Women’s Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American ASU player Monica Vaughn (Reedsport, Ore.) and 14-year old Brittany Kwon (Bremerton, Wash.) all advanced with one-over par 73 finishes.

A playoff commenced among the finishers at two-over par 74 that included Michelle Kim (Surrey, BC), Chelsea Saelee (Seattle, Wash.), Gigi Stoll (Tigard, Ore.) and Elizabeth Wang (San Marino, Calif).

All players made par on the first playoff hole. On the 402-yar par-four second, none of the players found the green on their second shots and each had lengthy looks at par.  Saelee was eliminated when her bogey putt failed to find the hole. Stoll earned 2nd alternate after making bogey on the par-three fourth hole. With a par on the sixth hole, Wang earned the final remaining qualifying spot. Kim was first alternate.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur will be the third USGA Championship event of the year held in the Pacific Northwest, beginning with the U.S. Women’s Four Ball Championship at Pacific Dunes in May, followed by last month’s U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay. The 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be held August 10-16th at Portland Golf Club.

Portland Golf has a rich history of hosting championships including the 1946 PGA Championship, 1947 Ryder Cup, 1982 U.S. Senior Open, 1999 U.S. Senior Amateur in addition to many state and regional championships.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship marked the beginning of women’s competitive golf in the United States. Along with the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open, the Women’s Amateur was one of the USGA’s first three championships conducted in 1895.

The Women’s Amateur has long identified some of golf’s greatest female players, many of whom have gone on to successful professional careers. The most noteworthy Champion is Glenna Collett Vare, a lifelong amateur who won the Robert Cox Trophy a record six times. Second only to Vare is JoAnne Gunderson Carner, who won five Women’s Amateur Championships. Other women to secure their place in golf history include Patty Berg, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Beth Daniel, Juli Inkster, Morgan Pressel, and Lydia Ko.

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About the USGA - The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.

The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.

For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org