Andrea Lignell carries her own golf bag on the hole nine fairway during the round of 64 of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. (James Gilbert/USGA)
Players carrying their own bags is nothing new in college. However, in the biggest amateur events, they almost always have caddies, whether it’s a coach, parents or a local one.
Andrea Lignell had none of those. She had herself.
“It was my choice,” Lignell said. “I was going to have my coach as my caddie but he needed to go on a recruiting trip, so I just decided to go on my own.”
Lignell, an incoming fifth-year at Ole Miss, carried her own bag in stroke play and earned the second seed for match play. She was tied with Chacon until a mistake on her final hole Tuesday resulted in a double bogey.
Come Wednesday, Lignell won her first hole against Charlotte Cantonis, a junior in high school, but Cantonis went on a roll after, topping Lignell 4 and 3 in the upset of the day.
Don’t call it it an upset!
No. 63 seed Charlotte Cantonis topples No. 2 Andrea Lignell, 4 and 3, to advance to the Round of 32. #USWomensAm. pic.twitter.com/RsuKUgOpzr
— USGA (@USGA) August 9, 2023
But don’t expect Lignell to use her bag as an excuse.
“I mean, we do it in college every day, so, yeah, I’m used to it,” she said.
Cantonis will face Lauren Lehigh in the Round of 32 on Thursday morning.