Katrina Prendergast is no stranger to big golf tournaments.
As a freshman at Colorado State last year, she competed in the NCAA tournament, garnering an at-large bid after a runner-up finish in the Mountain West Tournament. While at Spanish Springs, she competed in numerous junior tournaments and won a pair of individual large-school state titles.
But this week was something new. This was the U.S. Women’s Amateur – the 116th running of the tournament that started women’s competitive golf in 1896, taking a couple hiatuses for World Wars I and II.
Prendergast said it was “definitely” the biggest tournament of her life.
“Going into it, I just wanted to go out there, play my game and have some fun,” Prendergast said on Tuesday night. “I just wanted to see what that experience was like. And I think I got that feel.”
Nevada’s large-school state champion in 2013 and 2014 fired a 6-over par on Monday and Tuesday (3-over par 74 on both days) at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa. and missed the cut by a single stroke.
Her two-day total placed her in a tie for 66th place in the field of 156 golfers from around the world. The top 64 golfers advanced to match play on Wednesday.
“You look back and see all the shots that could’ve helped,” Prendergast said. “It’s kind of frustrating to know you lost by one shot. You definitely look back and see the putts you could’ve made and the shots you left out there.”
The Spanish Springs grad teed off at 7:26 a.m. ET Tuesday morning, so she was one of the first off the course in the afternoon. When she finished, she didn’t think she had a chance to make the top 64.
But after a nap, she started to change her mind.
“I saw I was tied for 75th I think and I was like ‘oh, maybe I have a chance,’” she said.
Golfers north of the cutline were able to avoid bogeys down the stretch, however.
Prendergast is now done golfing competitively for the summer and will head back to Colorado State on August 18. She will chalk her two days in Pennsylvania up as a learning experience.
“I thinking playing in this and feeling the nerves (will help),” Prendergast said. “I mean, you’re playing with really good amateurs. I think it’s a good step for me and it’s going to get me ready for this season then possibly any amateur tournaments I play in next summer.”
Prendergast qualified for the tournament by taking fifth at a qualifying tournament in Colorado last month.
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