It’s time for one of the premier women’s amateur championships.
The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur begins Monday at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, as the field of 156 players will vie for their chance to capture the oldest trophy in women’s amateur golf, the Robert Cox Trophy.
This will be the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur, which began in 1895. There were a record 1,679 entries accepted for the championship.
Although the top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking aren’t in the field, including defending champion Saki Baba, there’s no shortage of star power who will be teeing it up near Beverly Hills.
Here’s a look at 10 players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club.
Amari Avery
Avery, ranked 10th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, is coming into the U.S. Women’s Amateur off a 48th-place finish at Pebble Beach in the U.S. Women’s Open last month. She was one of only four amateurs to make the cut there.
Jensen Castle
Castle captured the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur in New York, and though she’s not defending champion, she’s the most recent winner teeing it up in California. She was only the third 63rd seed to win a USGA championship.
Gianna Clemente
Clemente advanced to the semifinals of match play at the U.S. Girls’ Junior last month in Colorado Springs. She also finished sixth in the junior division at the Mizuho Americas Open and 14th at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Her and Avery Zweig won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball earlier this year.
Anna Davis
Davis is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 4, and she comes to Bel-Air in good form. She finished second in stroke play at the U.S. Girls’ Junior and advanced to the Round of 16. Davis also won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Aine Donegan
Donegan, from Ireland, made a name for herself last month at Pebble Beach with her stellar play in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now she’s back in California looking for another strong performance.
Rachel Kuehn
Kuehn, the reigning ACC Player of the Year and Golfweek All-American, won the national championship with Wake Forest in May and played in her first major championship, the Amundi Evian, in July. She advanced to the Round of 16 last year.
Andrea Lignell
Lignell of Sweden made a run at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, finishing third. She was also a first-team All-American at Ole Miss last season.
Kiara Romero
Romero, an Oregon signee, won the U.S. Girls’ Junior last month, capturing the title in Colorado Springs 1 up. She finished third in the stroke-play portion, as well, so Romero heads to Bel-Air in strong form.
Bailey Shoemaker
Shoemaker, an incoming USC freshman, finished fourth at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and made match play at the Women’s Amateur Championship in Europe and U.S. Girls’ Junior.
Yana Wilson
Wilson, the 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner and Oregon commit, won the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Girls’ Junior this year before falling in the Round of 32. She also finished fourth at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in the spring.
