Notebook: Duncan Gets Better of South Florida Friend Pressel

By David Shefter, USGA

West Hartford, Conn. – Lindy Duncan and Madison Pressel go way back. The two south Floridians – Duncan is from Plantation and Pressel from Boca Raton – first competed against each other at 5 years old at Okeehalee Golf Course in West Palm Beach.

“We started off with four holes from like the orange tees,” the 17-year-old Pressel recalled.

Lindy Duncan toughed out a 3-and-1 third-round win over longtime south Florida rival Madison Pressel. (Robert Walker/USGA)

On Friday afternoon at Hartford Golf Club, the two buddies faced each other with a much higher prize at stake – a spot in the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior quarterfinals.

With so much on the line, the chatter was minimal. The two were focused on only themselves.

“She’s very quiet when she plays and so am I,” said the 17-year-old Duncan. “We don’t like a whole lot of talking and we just try to stick to our own games.”

Duncan, who has enjoyed more success in USGA championships with a semifinal showing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2006, got the better of this match-up, posting a 3-and-1 victory to reach the round of eight for the first time in four Girls’ Junior appearances. Pressel, the younger sister of 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Morgan Pressel, had never won a match in a USGA event prior to Wednesday’s first round.

“I’m pretty comfortable in match play,” said Duncan, who has verbally committed to attend Duke University in 2009. “Playing more matches definitely helps … and gaining that experience helps. I think she’s going to learn a lot [from this week] as well.”

Coming into this championship, Duncan had been spending a lot of time tightening her swing, a process that took some five months of working with her father, David, through video. While David no longer plays the game, he has read plenty of books and received instruction from some top teachers.

“I sacrificed a few months, but in the long run, I think [my game] will improve,” said Duncan. “I feel pretty good about my game.”

Pressel now will focus on recruiting.  She has official trips planned to Central Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Texas and Michigan, where many family members have attended, including her late mom, Kathy, who was a tennis player for the Wolverines. Her plan is to study business/sports management and perhaps become a sports agent if golf doesn’t work out as a career.

Maybe she could represent Morgan someday?

“You know what, exactly,” she said with a smile.

Family Affair

The two sets of sisters – Daniela and Isabelle Lendl, and Lauren and Lindsey Weaver – have all been eliminated from the championship, but two cousins are still going strong. Stephanie Kim, 16, of Orlando, Fla., and her 13-year-old first cousin, Karen Chung of Livingston, N.J., both have survived three rounds of match play. Kim was the No. 2 qualifier from stroke play, but has gone mostly unnoticed among the other high-profile competitors in the field.

“I’m always under the radar,” said Kim, who eliminated defending champion Kristen Park in the third round, 2 and 1. “I’m so fine with that. The people who know me, know what I am capable of. I really haven’t won something big and proved that I can play with these girls. Until then, I’m under the radar.”

Kim next faces Alexis Thompson, a precocious 13-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., who became the youngest U.S. Women’s Open qualifier last spring and reached the quarterfinals at the Women’s Amateur last August at 12. Kim’s cousin just turned 13 in April.

“I guess I have to show her how the older girls do it,” deadpanned Kim. “Although I am not that old.”

Kim and Chung, both of whom are home-schooled, see each other a lot during the fall in Florida. Kim edged her cousin at a small tournament in Ponte Vedra, Fla., where Chung shot a career-best 68.

“She’s really going to be good,” said Kim. “She doesn’t hit it that long, but she’s straight and she makes putts.”

Chung never thought she’d make it out of stroke play. She seemed a bit shocked – and overwhelmed – to be one of eight girls still remaining. And with two on opposite sides of the bracket, an all-cousin final could happen.

“Oh my gosh, I would be so nervous,” said Chung, a rising ninth-grader who eliminated 17-year-old Stacey Kim of Columbus, Ga., in 19 holes.

On Thursday night, Stephanie Kim and Chung passed the time by having a putting contest in their hotel.

“We kind of goofed off,” said Chung.

Added Stephanie Kim, who has committed to attend Wake Forest in 2009: “We’re really close. We’re like sisters. We want an all-cousin final.”

Passing Time

With Thursday being a total washout in terms of golf, players did everything they could to find alternative forms of entertainment. Some went to the movies, others went sightseeing and some even snuck in practice time.

“I found a driving range yesterday,” said Pressel. “My housing people took me to a range. The grass was closed, but we got to hit off mats. As long as I could swing and not actually take a day off.

“I just relaxed the rest of the day. Get manicures and pedicures and shop. That’s the only thing you could do. What else are you supposed to do? It’s pouring down rain. It’s noon and you are done with all you can possibly do [golf-wise]. I was going to [see the movie “Dark Knight”] but my brother wants to see it at Imax when we get home. I told him I would wait.”

Thompson, Chung, Stephanie Kim, Marina Alex and Lisa McCloskey all went to see the “Dark Knight.” Alex and McCloskey went together and then wound up facing each other in a 22-hole marathon third-round match that went to the latter.

“I’m good at relaxing,” said Thompson. “I know how to relax. I sit in bed and just chill and watch TV. I am very good at that. Just get me a bed and I’ll be good.”

Rematch

Two years ago, Jenny Shin, then 13, beat Lindy Duncan, 1 up, in the third round, en route to becoming the second-youngest Girls’ Junior champion. Shin held a 4-up lead at one point, then watched Duncan miss a short birdie putt at 18 that would have forced extra holes.

“That was actually the hardest match I had ever played,” said Shin, who faces Duncan in the quarterfinals on Saturday. “She was really tough. I was shaking the whole time [on the 18th green].”

Shin went on to defeat current Duramed Futures Tour star Vicky Hurst at the first extra hole of the first 36-hole final in the championship’s history.

Shin is the only remaining USGA champion in the field after 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kimberly Kim fell in the second round and defending Girls’ Junior champion Kristen Park was bounced in round three.

“I’m happy … that I’m still here,” said Shin.

David Shefter is a USGA New Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.