Rachel Kuehn shakes hands with a USGA rules official after winning her match during the round of 64 of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Five spots remain up for grabs for the United States Curtis Cup team, and there are numerous players who are hoping to play their way onto the team at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
One of them is Rachel Kuehn, who was in the first match off Wednesday and dominated en route to a 7-and-5 victory. She’ll play the top overall seed Maria Jose Marin on Thursday morning. Kuehn had the clinching point in the 2022 Curtis Cup and is the highest-ranked American not on the team.
Then there’s LSU graduate Latanna Stone, the runner-up from 2023 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur who won her match Wednesday, too. As did Auburn sophomore Anna Davis and Oregon sophomore Kiara Romero and Texas sophomore Farah O’Keefe. USC sophomore Bailey Shoemaker knocked off the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, No. 4 Zoe Campos, on the 18th hole.
And you can’t forget about Gianna Clemente or Asterisk Talley, two juniors who won their opening matches, as well.
Notice a trend? There’s plenty of younger players hoping to earn their way onto the team with a win or deep run this week. However, there are a few veterans hoping for one final chance at playing on the Curtis Cup.
One of those is Schofill. Another is Amanda Sambach, a rising senior at Virginia who lost to Talley in the Round of 64. Then there’s British Women’s Amateur winner Melanie Green and former Furman standout Anna Morgan, who each advanced to the Round of 32.
There are more than 10 players who have a shot to make the team and only five spots available. The winner, if American, of the U.S. Women’s Amateur gets an automatic spot on the team. For any of the players listed, a deep run could do the trick for Meghan Stasi to pick them.
The picture will become more clear after Thursday’s two rounds of competition, but even after the first three days at Southern Hills, numerous players remain in contention.