Kelsey Chugg continues to amaze Utah’s golfing community with her play in the annual Women’s State Amateur.
The former Weber State star and five-time Amateur champion won both her matches Wednesday at the weather-delayed 117th playing of the State Am at Jeremy Ranch Country Club and is just three wins away from successfully defending the championship she won last year at Ogden Golf & Country Club.
Not only that, the 32-year-old Chugg, who is Salt Lake City’s Director of Golf, downed two BYU golfers Wednesday en route to Thursday’s quarterfinals, beating 2021 champion Lila Galea’i 3 and 2 in the morning and 2019 champion Kerstin Ngakuru 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
Arizona State rising sophomore Grace Summerhays has been even more dominant in match play, after shooting a 2-under 70 to win medalist honors on Tuesday.
Summerhays, the 2020 champion at Soldier Hollow, downed Utah Tech’s Corinne Lillywhite 6 and 5 in the morning and BYU rising sophomore Sunbin Seo 6 and 5 in the afternoon.
With Chugg and Summerhays resting comfortably in the clubhouse, or on their way home, the other six Round of 16 matches were still in progress when the horn blew at 3:55 p.m.
After play resumed, Utah Tech golfer Jane Olson and Weber State golfer Samira Salinas joined Summerhays and Chugg in the quarterfinals.
Summerhays will square off against Salinas and Chugg will face Olson, with the winners facing off in Thursday afternoon’s semifinals.
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In the lower bracket, BYU golfer Berlin Long will face former Sacramento State golfer Tess Blair in a quarterfinal on Thursday.
Blair, who won the Utah Women’s Open last August, edged Sydney Richards 2 and 1 and Rachel Lillywhite 3 and 2 to reach the Elite Eight.
Long got past Lily Shin 4 and 2 and Pati Uluave 4 and 3 to advance.
Utah Tech’s Grace Williams will meet Faith Vui in another quarterfinal Thursday morning, pitting golfers who grew up far from Utah.
Williams is from Australia and Vui is from Samoa.
Williams eliminated Lone Peak golfer Aadyn Long, who has committed to play for BYU coach Carrie Roberts, 1 up in a tight Round of 16 match Wednesday evening.