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RYE, NEW YORK | It was David versus Goliath last week in the Round of 64 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. David was semi-unknown, 18-year-old Elle Nachmann (above) of Boca Raton, Florida, who was ranked No. 1,968 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking coming into the week. The University of Pennsylvania sophomore – whose freshman season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic – had recently won the Florida Women’s Amateur ahead of her berth at Westchester Country Club.
Goliath was Rose Zhang, also 18 years old, of Irvine, California, the defending champion who took home the U.S. Girls’ Junior title just a few weeks ago. The top-ranked amateur in the world and an incoming Stanford Cardinal was coming off a made cut at the Amundi Evian Championship, finishing T58 in the LPGA Tour’s fourth major.
The pair were tied through eight holes before Zhang rattled off back-to-back birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 to go 2 up with eight to play. After pars on the next two holes, Nachmann birdied to win the 13th and notched a par on the 15th to tie the match, before making par at No. 16 to claim the lead.
Pars on No. 17 sent the match to the final hole with Nachmann 1 up, and Zhang’s repeat hopes on the ropes. But Zhang buried a birdie putt, leaving Nachmann with a 6-footer for birdie to complete the upset. With seemingly no nerves at all, Nachmann knocked it in to advance to the Round of 32.
Whereas Zhang’s personality is muted, emitting a quiet confidence that can be common for a teenage phenom, Nachmann’s vibe is much more youthful – ripe with excitement about the opportunity to compete at a high level.
She credits much of her recent success to one family member who helped her self-belief heading into the week.
“I have been playing some really good golf this summer,” said Nachmann. “I almost qualified for the U.S. (Women’s) Open. Then I won the Florida Amateur championship and I finished runner-up in the match play championship.
“My Uncle Vincent (Spadea) … he was top 20 in the world in tennis and he has been working with me with my mental game saying, ‘You’ve just got to stay mentally strong.’ I listened to him and I was staying confident out there.”
“The FSGA has helped me a lot with all of their tournaments so that’s gotten me here with my confidence as well. Since Florida is such a different state than (New York) with the hills and different weather, I’m really proud of myself for how I did.”
Elle Nachmann
That confidence may seem unlikely coming from a player not as easily recognized as some of her counterparts, but Nachmann knows that her recent performances in Florida State Golf Association events have made a difference.
“The FSGA has helped me a lot with all of their tournaments so that’s gotten me here with my confidence as well,” Nachmann said. “Since Florida is such a different state than (New York) with the hills and different weather, I’m really proud of myself for how I did.”
No. 35-seed Nachmann ultimately fell to No. 3 Brooke Matthews on the final hole during the Round of 32. But she headed home with head held high and is training her sights on the fall collegiate season. It’s the first time she’ll play as a Quaker and the first time since the sixth grade that she will be a part of a golf team.
Though she knows it will be a challenge balancing golf and schoolwork, those orders don’t seem nearly as tall thanks to the feeling that comes from her strong play at Westchester.
“I think I will be taking some confidence with me back home,” she said. “It was just a solid week. I’m super happy with my performance. How many people can say they made it to the round of 32?”
Not many. Nachmann hopes it will propel her forward to slay the giants that lie ahead.
Sarah Kellam