Mackenzie continues to roll in Women’s Am

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. – Paige Mackenzie sustained her solid play to advance after the opening round of match play Wednesday in the U.S.

Mackenzie, the top finisher in stroke-play qualifying earlier this week, defeated Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., the 64th qualifier, 3 and 2 on the Witch Hollow course.

“I want to carry that momentum forward,” said Mackenzie, who played on the U.S. team that won the Curtis Cup last month.

She’ll face Curtis Cup teammate Jennie Lee, who plays at Duke, in the round of 32 this morning.

Mackenzie, 23, is from Yakima and just wrapped up her senior season at Washington.

At the Curtis Cup, held at the Bandon Dunes Golf Club on the southern Oregon coast, Mackenzie was followed by a gallery sporting “Team Mackenzie” T-shirts. The U.S. defeated a team from Britain and Ireland in the biennial competition.

“No T-shirts, but they’re starting to trickle in,” Mackenzie said about her Northwest fan base. “My folks got here today, so they’re out there.”

The most stunning upset came late in the day when Lauren Espinosa of Texas defeated Jane Park, the 2004 Amateur champion, 1-up.

Park, also on the Curtis Cup team, played last year at UCLA but has said she planned to turn pro after this event.