Jensen Castle (USGA Photo)
One of the perks of winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur for University of Kentucky junior Jensen Castle is a berth in the AIG Women’s Open Aug. 19-22 in Scotland. However, she said no to a chance to play in a tournament for the second time this summer with the LPGA Tour.
“Turning that down was really hard,” said Castle Wednesday. “It is such a big event. But I would need to be traveling today or maybe already be there.”
That wasn’t going to happen after needing a “grueling” 158 holes to win the Women’s Amateur championship over an eight-day span in New York.
“My ribs already hurt (a stress fracture in a rib shut her down earlier this summer) and I have such bad blisters (on her feet). It would not be smart for my career to play,” Castle said.
Especially since another perk of winning the Amateur put her on the eight-player USA Curtis Cup team that will play against Great Britain and Ireland Aug. 26-28 in North Wales.
“Last night I did a three-mile walk and I don’t think I will be wearing tennis shoes for a while,” Castle said.
Castle often tries to walk three to six miles per day to reach her daily goal of 10,000 steps but knew Wednesday she was not going to be putting tennis shoes on her sore feet for a few more days at best.
Castle was one of 23 amateurs to play in the U.S. Women’s Open in early June in San Francisco. She was 23-over par for two rounds and did not make the 36-hole cut but says that experience prepared her for the U.S. Amateur.
“They treat everyone so special and there were so many people watching,” Castle said. “The crowds prepared me for the Amateur and so many people were there. I don’t get nervous. I love people watching and talking to the crowd.”
She credited the U.S. Open for making her feel stress-free with the Amateur crowds and pressure.
Castle admitted her historic win still is “not real” because it had been her dream for so long. She became the first UK golfer to win the amateur championship and only the second South Carolina golfer to ever win.
“To make history as the first UK golfer (to win) is awesome. I am sure I am not going to be the last,” Castle said.
Castle and her UK teammates got to the NCAA last season for the first time. Teammates Marissa Wenzler and Laney Frye both played in the U.S. Amateur and Wenzler took medalist and overall honors earlier this summer at the Western Women’s Amateur. Frye, a former Miss Kentucky Golf, earned SEC all-freshman honors last season.
“Our team is so special. The team dynamic is crazy good. There’s no drama, we all get along great,” Castle said. “We all love to see each other succeed. There’s no jealousy. I’m not going to say we’re going to have any expectations. We’re still going to focus on the same thing we have, just one tournament at a time.”
Castle is savoring her Amateur win but knows that does not guarantee future success.
“I am not invincible. It was just a tournament and I played well when I needed to play well. You are going to have good and bad rounds. That’s life,” Castle said.
