New member of Alta Mesa Golf Club (AMGC) Chelsea Harris qualified this year to play in the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y., which took place this past June.
Chelsea moved to the Valley in January, from Bloomington-Normal, Ill., and promptly became a member of AMGC. “There are a couple of other professional women golfers out there, and we play together for fun,” she said.
The 23-year-old is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa, where she attended on a four-year scholarship, and was a member of the golf team.
“I started playing golf when I was about 4 years old,” said Chelsea, “and began golfing competitively at age 10.”
In order to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, Chelsea had to complete a 36-hole walking course.
“There were only 20 places open in the U.S., and each qualifying location tournament had only a limited number of winning spots,” Chelsea explained. “I played in Chicago, which only had two spots, and placed second out of 75 entrants.”
According to its Web site, the U.S. Women’s Open began in 1946, and is the longest running event currently on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. The 72-hole format is one of the LPGA’s four major championships, and is not LPGA Tour co-sponsored.