Basalone To Play In WAPL
6/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - After a historic year for both Hannah Basalone (Brea, Calif.) and the Seton Hall women's golf team, the rising junior has qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship (WAPL), June 18-23, at Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Neshanic Station, N.J.
Basalone qualified at Stone Creek Golf Club with 14 amateurs attempting to earn one of the three spots advancing into the championship. 18-23.
On a day with only one player in red numbers, the course played to 6,268 yards and featured a challenging setup. Basalone was the medalist for the qualifier, leading the field with a 72. She took advantage of the opportunity to qualify for the national tournament while visiting family in the Pacific NW and it paid off.
"I'm incredibly proud of Hannah," said Head Coach Sara Doell. "It is a tremendous achievement to participate in this national event. She continues to grow on the course and this experience will only help her maturation. This is a wonderful opportunity and we know she'll represent our program and Seton Hall University with pride."
Nationwide the United States Golf Association accepted 685 entries into the 2012 WAPL, with 143 qualifying positions available.
The championship will be played over a course measuring 6,195 yards to a par of 72. Defending champion Brianna Do will not return, as she is expected to turn pro after UCLA concludes its season on May 26. However, USA Curtis Cup Team members Tiffany Lua, Lisa McCloskey (2010 WAPL runner-up) and Emily Tubert (2010 WAPL champion) have entered and will look to add their names to the illustrious list of champions that includes Yani Tseng (currently No. 1 player in the world), Michelle Wie, Pearl Sinn and Tiffany Joh.
This year, Basalone led the Pirates with a 77.08 stroke average for the year and became the program's first individual tournament champion when she fired a 3-over-par, 73-74-147, to win the Lehigh University Invitational in the fall.
Basalone notched four, top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments this year and tied for third at the Siena Invitational, a key contribution in Seton Hall's first team tournament victory. Most recently, she placed 11th with a 15-over-par, 74-79-78-231, at the BIG EAST Championship. At Seton Hall's Student Athlete Advisory Council Awards Banquet on April 26, Basalone was named Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year.
Her hard work earned her placement on the 2012 All-BIG EAST Team, the first recognition of its kind in program history.
