Uniontown senior set to play in Girls Jr. PGA Championship
Uniontown’s Danae Rugola powers through a drive on the ninth hole at Diamond Run Golf Club in Wednesday’s WPIAL Girls Class AAA Individual Golf Championship.
Uniontown senior Danae Rugola, shown after finishing fourth in the 2017 WPIAL Class AAA Individual Golf Championship, starts play Monday in the 43rd Girls Junior PGA Championship hosted by Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.
Danae Rugola left Fox Run Golf Club on June 20 as the odd golfer out, finishing third in a two-girl qualifier for the 43rd Girls Junior PGA Championship.
However, the Uniontown senior was granted a reprieve when she was granted an exemption, an at-large bid, into the tournament that begins Monday at Kearney Hills Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.
The Girls Junior PGA Championship is a four-day, 72-hole tournament with a 144-girl field, beginning Monday and running through Thursday. The field is cut to the low 70 scores and ties after 36 holes. A hole-by-hole playoff will be held should there be a tie after 72 holes.
The field is composed of champions and runner-ups from each of the PGA of America’s 41 section junior championships. as well as from exemptions earned via other top-tier national events.
Past champions of the tournament include two-time winners Inbee Park (2001-02), Lexi Thompson (2007, 2009), and Ariya Jutanugarn (2011-12). Rose Zhang is the defending champion, winning six strokes last year at the Country Club of St. Albans (Mo.). Zhang shot a record-setting 268, as well as holding the lowest 54-hole score of 200.
Rugola feels she is playing well this summer, as evidenced by the way she struck the ball in a recent tournament.
“I had a decent score in a tournament in Michigan. I shot 76, but I hit the ball really well,” said Rugola. “My drives starting clicking (in Michigan tournament).
“I just want to play a round of golf and just have everything go right, have my drives awesome, my irons awesome and my putting awesome.”
Rugola’s been working on her game this summer, but understands the tough task at hand when she tees it up Monday on No. 1 at 2:30 p.m. with Kayla Benge, of Plainfield, Ind., and Abby Cavaiani, of Wales, Wis.
“I’ve been practicing a lot. I have a practice round Sunday, so I can get a feel for the course. It’s a really nice course,” said Rugola. “Some of the holes are really long, some have tight fairways. It’s a mixture of everything.
“I’ve never been in a four-day tournament. This is like, big. The girl that won it last year (Zhang, who had rounds of 69, 65, 66 and 68 last year), if I put my two best rounds together ever, I still wouldn’t finish (near that score).
“As long as I hit the ball decent, I should have a good score.”
Rugola will have a couple familiar faces in the field in North Allegheny’s Caroline Wrigley and Pine-Richland’s Lauren Freyvogel. Wrigley was the WPIAL Class AAA gold medalist last year with Freyvogel taking the silver. Rugola placed fourth.
Rugola and the rest of the field will also be playing for an exemption onto the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team. The winner and runner-up automatically earn a spot and will compete in the 11th Junior Ryder Cup on Sept. 24-25 at Disneyland Paris.