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Nevada's Cameron competes against college players at 2021 U.S. Women's Open Qualifier
Emree Cameron may not be playing in this year's U.S. Women's Open, but it's safe to say she'll have plenty more opportunities to qualify.
Cameron, a student at Nevada Middle School and the no. 5-ranked eighth-grade golfer in Missouri, got her first opportunity to try and qualify for an LPGA event last week at the one-day, 36-hole 2021 U.S. Women's Open Qualifier at the Old Hickory Golf Club in St. Peters. At 13, she was one of the youngest competitors in a field of more than 50 players, most of whom were NCAA Div. I golfers.
Cameron, who boasts a +1 handicap, was given a 7:26 a.m. tee time and paired with Casey Ott and Ryan Bender, both of whom play golf for the University of Kentucky.
After scoring a double-bogey on her first hole (no. 10), Cameron made par on two of the next three before it started raining as she teed off on the 520-yard par-5 no. 14.
Cameron's ball came to rest on the cart path, and play was delayed before she could hit her second shot.
After an hour-long break, Cameron hit an 8-iron shot back onto the fairway, then laid up about 75 feet from the green before hitting a wedge shot to within four feet of the pin for an easy par putt.
She finished her first round with a 7-over-par 79, the lowest score in her group and good enough for a tie for 12th place at the time (the top two qualify for the U.S. Open).
Following a 30-minute lunch break, Cameron returned to the course for her second round — where she struggled to find a groove until her final three holes, on which she made par for a round of 91. Her final combined score was 170, which was still better than five other golfers, including Bender (more than a dozen players withdrew during the rain delay).
"It was definitely challenging but, overall, a great experience," Cameron stated afterward. "I will be better prepared to walk 36 holes so my feet don't hurt as much."
Eric Cameron, Emree's father and the head golf coach at Cottey College, said it was a great learning experience for her.
"We couldn't have asked for a better outcome," he stated. "Emree proved just what she is capable of doing, but at the same time she got hit with reality. That's why you play a 13-year-old in this type of event: for experience."