July 13, 2005

Tulane freshman Ashley Tait advanced to the second round of match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship Wednesday with a 4 and 2 win over Carmen Bandea of Duluth, Ga. Tait, a freshman from Littleton, Colo., is one of only 32 players still in the hunt for the USGA title at the Swope Memorial Golf Course in Kansas City.

Tait advances to meet Courtney Mahon of Kansas City, who won her match 2-and-1 on Wednesday. The duo will tee off at 8:10 a.m. as two rounds of match play will be conducted on Thursday to pare the field from 32 to 8.

Tait's Green Wave teammate, Mary Ellen Jacobs, fell to RemiJin Campling of Hollywood, Fla., 2-Up, Wednesday after tying for 25th in the stroke play portion of the event.

Tait qualified out of Denver, Colo. and shot 73-77--150 during the stroke play portion of the event to earn one of the 64 slots in match play. On Wednesday, she took the lead from Bandea on the sixth hole and ended the match with a birdie on the par 3 16th hole.

The 2005 WAPL Championship was open to women amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1, 2005, have been bona fide public course players. Sectional qualifying was held at 38 sites around the country and 144 players of the 769 entrants began two rounds of stroke play on Monday.

The Green Wave women's golf team is coming off the most successful season in school history as Sue Bower's 2004-05 squad competed in its first NCAA Championship, finishing 15th. Tulane won its second straight Conference USA title and placed sixth in the 2005 NCAA East Regional to qualify for its first trip to nationals.

For complete details on the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship, go to www.uswapl.org.