University of Alabama sophomore golfer Jennifer Kirby arrived Sunday in Oakmont, Penn. for the U.S. Women’s Open.
She has only positive momentum behind her, having finished the NCAA Championships and the British Open Amateurs in the past few months.
In her freshman year at Alabama, Kirby finished seventh at the NCAA Championships, a school best for an individual finish. Also, she finished in the quarterfinals in her run at the British Open at the end of June.
With one week off, Kirby rested and relaxed to get ready for the U.S. Open. The course at Oakmont is hyped to be one of the toughest to be used for the U.S. Open.
“It’s a difficult course but it’s manageable, if you’re in the right position and if you’re in the right fairway,” Kirby said. “It’s all about positioning yourself. The most difficult thing for me will be keeping my emotions in check, not getting caught up in the hype.”
With strong finishes in both the NCAA Championships and the British Open, Kirby says the tournaments have given her confidence. She hopes to place in the top 30.
“The British Open course was very similar to the U.S. Open course,” she said. “It was a placement course with lots of bunkers where you need to stay below the greens.”
Kirby has been to the British Open three times. She played in Scotland and Wales for the tournament. The British Open moves from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, allowing each county in the United Kingdom the opportunity to host.
Monday was the start of practice rounds. Kirby played 18 holes on Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday she played nine holes each day.
Kirby said the past few days have been very hot, with temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s. She said a chance of rain is mentioned in the forecast for the weekend, but that would be dealt with when the time comes.
“The course is very firm,” she said. “I’ve spent more time on the greens and the range here, working through what I’m going to do on the course, just trying to get a feel of it all.”
Kirby is a native of Paris, Ontario and said being able to represent Canada in the U.S. Open is an honor. She hopes to become a role model for girls picking up golf.
She said she is pleased with her record finish in the NCAA tournament but hopes the incoming freshmen beat her record. She wants to incorporate her experiences from the courses this summer into the upcoming season.
“I hope we pick up right where we left off,” she said. “We played great at the NCAA tournament. Our team is only going to get stronger and stronger. I hope we win more tournaments. We are in a great position with a great coach and a great team to make that happen.”
Kirby is set to tee off at 6:11 a.m. on Thursday.
