Five Georgians earned automatic bids into the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship, including co-medalists Sydney Needham of Villa Rica and Bailey Tardy of Norcross.  At a qualifier at The Manor Golf and Country Club in Alpharetta, Ga., Needham and Tardy posted 1-under-par 71 scores to advance.  Joining the co-medalists as automatic qualifiers are Ji Eun Baik of Newnan and Eunice Yi of Evans, who tied for third at even-par 72, and the reigning two-time Georgia Girls’ champion, Rachel Dai of Milton, at 1-over-par 73.

Three players tied for fifth at 1-over-par 73 at the end of the 18-hole qualifier, so Dai, Madison Caldwell of Dawsonville and Payton Schanen of Kennesaw returned to the course for a playoff to decide the fifth automatic qualifying spot and the two alternate positions.  Still deadlocked after three extra holes, Dai birdied the fourth playoff hole to clinch the fifth and final automatic qualifying spot into the Championship. 

Schanen finished as the first alternate and Caldwell finished as the second alternate.

The Manor Golf & Country Club was set to 6,235 yards and a par of 72.  A field of 53 players competed in the qualifying round.

The 64th annual U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will be held at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, Calif., July 16-21, 2012.  Entries were open to female amateur golfers who will not have reached their 18th birthday on or before July 21, 2012, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4.  The U.S. Girls’ Junior is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association.