Yale’s Gianchandani gets U.S. Women’s Open shot

Ami Gianchandani is only 22, yet the rising senior for the Yale University women’s golf team has already played in eight United States Golf Association championships.

It will soon be nine and her biggest one to date. Gianchandani qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, which begins Thursday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

“Growing up, I followed some of these players,” Gianchandani said. “Some of them now are the same age as me. They left college to go play (professionally). … Hopefully, this will be the first time of many that I will continue to play with them.”

Of those eight previous USGA appearances, Gianchandani competed in the U.S. Junior four times. A captain for the Yale team, Gianchandani shot a 71-69 at the Worcester Country Club to win the qualifier. It was the only spot available.

“Sectional qualifying is normally regarded as the toughest day in golf. There is so much pressure,” Gianchandani said. “When I found out I had won it, I was over the moon. It was the moment I was picturing and looking forward to since I was 10 years old. This was the seventh or eighth time playing in a U.S. Open qualifier. I’ve been close before.”

Gianchandani, the Ivy League Player of the Year, admitted she chose to not look at any leaderboards or ask where she stood throughout the 36 holes.

“I did not talk to anyone at lunch that day. That (watching leaderboards) is not something I constantly do or don’t do,” Gianchandani said. “On that day, it felt like the right thing to do on a 36-hole day, which is really long. If you get caught up in results, that takes you out of the present and before you know it, you’ve lost focus.”

Yale teammate Kaityn Lee carded a 69-73142 to earn alternate status for the Open.

Among those competing will be Annika Sorenstam, the three-time Open champion and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sorenstam earned an exemption by winning the U.S. Senior Women’s Open last

August at Brooklawn CC in Fairfield.

“I read a bunch of golf books that have her as the example of what it means to be a great golfer,” Gianchandani said about Sorenstam. “She probably is the one in the field I most look up to and consider an idol.’

Gianchandani said she is flying to North Carolina on Sunday. She has practice rounds scheduled Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pine Needles will be set up at 6,638 yards The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers (and ties) for the weekend.

DR. HOFFMAN PASSES

Dr. Joseph Hoffman, the oldest member at New Haven CC, died on May 19. He was 97.

Dr. Hoffman was profiled in this space almost a year ago for making a hole-in-one on the second hole at New Haven CC. Hoffman, then 96, was playing it from the forward tees — roughly 100 yards — but never saw the ball go into the hole.

“I was amazed that ball went in the hole. I was sort of stunned,” Hoffman said at the time. “(His playing partners) thought it was great. I’m a very modest person.”

Also an honorary member at Yale GC, Hoffman’s second-to-last ace also came at New Haven CC, on the downhill ninth hole in 2010.

Hoffman remembered the date and site of his first ace: June 16, 1950 at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma. The second one came on a course and a hole you may be familiar with: the 100-yard downhill seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 1997.

Hoffman’s passing comes during the 100th anniversary of the course redesign done by Willie Park Jr. in 1922. The club is celebrating that anniversary this Sunday.

The Connecticut Open to be held there this year. The 54-hole event will be held July 25-27. Peter Ballo is the defending champion.