Kristen Gillman’s summer already was exceptional, period, though on Sunday she replaced the period with an exclamation point.
A junior at the University of Alabama, Gillman delivered an early knockout of her newest Crimson Tide teammate Jiwon Jeon, 7 and 6, at the Golf Club of Tennessee to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Gillman, 20, was 5 up through nine holes of the 36-hole final, a lead she took into the second 18. She won two of the first four holes in the afternoon to increase her lead to 7 up, then cruised to a victory, eventually closing Jeon out with matching pars at the 30th hole.
It was a second U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship for Gillman, who was only 16 and wearing braces when she defeated Brooke Henderson, 2 up, in the final at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y., in 2014.
This one was more dominant, capping a remarkable summer that also includes a 5-0 record in the Curtis Cup, a 3-1 record in the Palmer Cup, a victory in the Century 21 Ladies Golf Tournament of the LPGA of Japan Tour, and a tie for 27th in the U.S. Women’s Open.
Gillman won here on Sunday on the strength of a hot putter that would not allow Jeon to get any closer than 6 down from the 19th hole on. Gillman made nine birdies in 30 holes.
Jeon, 20, a South Korean native, came into the Amateur No. 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. At Daytona State Community College, she won the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship last spring. She also won the SunTrust Gator Invite and the UNF Collegiate.
“I was trying to think positive throughout the match,” she said responding to the deficit she was unable to overcome. “I was trying not to think about the scores, trying just to focus on each shot and not try to beat Kristen, but trying to focus on my golf.
“Playing in U.S. Am Championship itself is just an amazing experience. I just had a really good time here. Enjoyed every single moment here.”
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