Gillman Victorious in U.S. Women's Amateur


Kristen Gillman of Austin, Texas, won the final two holes on Sunday at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y., to edge Canada's Brooke Mackenzie Henderson and win the U.S. Women's Amateur.

The 16-year-old Gillman was 3-down through 26 holes, but birdied the 27th and got the 36-hole championship match to all-square with another birdie on the par-4 32nd.

She took a 1-up lead on the par-5 33rd with another birdie and held on from there, closing out the match with a birdie on the last for a 2-up victory.

“I just keep fighting because I don't want to leave here without the ultimate prize,” said Gillman, who rallied from deficits in all six of her matches, including a comeback from 4-down with six to play against Su-Hyun Oh in her 20-hole quarterfinal win on Friday.

“I wanted to get my name on the trophy, but that's not necessarily success for me,” said Henderson, No. 2 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking and low amateur at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. “I played well, and I had a lot of fun this week.”

Coming off an 11-stroke victory in last week's Junior PGA Championship, Gillman has committed to attend the University of Alabama; she will join the Crimson Tide in 2016.

The 16-year-old Henderson, a native of Smith Falls, Ontario, was trying to become the third Canadian champion in U.S. Women's Amateur history. But she fell just short of joining Marlene Stewart (1956) and Cathy Sherk (1978).

For championship match details, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScoreDetail.aspx?id=17179869348&year=2014&type=match6.