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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 29, 2001

Dwyer enjoying productive offseason

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff

Parker McLachlin is not the only UCLA golfer and Punahou alumnus having a great summer on the links.

Bridget Dwyer of Kailua begins the next chapter in her storybook offseason tomorrow at the 101st U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in Andover, Kan. Dwyer, a 1999 Punahou graduate, joins recent high school grads Merynn Ito of 'Aiea and Joan Shimozaki of Seabury Hall in the tournament, which runs through Saturday at Flint Hills National Golf Course.

Ito and Shimozaki earned berths in a local qualifier at Mid-Pacific Country Club two weeks ago.

Dwyer, 20, dropped out of UCLA competition last winter and spring to work on her game with instructor Susie Berning.

"I cannot point to one thing we changed," Dwyer said. "It's been everything."

The results have been dramatic.

In late June, Dwyer led the Long Beach (Calif.) Women's Championship after one round and ended up tied for sixth. On July 9, she shot a 4-over-par 76 to tie for fourth place in a U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament at Scottsdale, Ariz.

The top two finishers from that tournament earned championship berths, and Dwyer beat out four other competitors on the fourth playoff hole to earn a spot as first alternate. That spot became an actual berth on July 20 after all the qualifying scores from around the nation were filed.

Dwyer turned in another strong performance at the California Women's Championship from July 16-18, shooting a 4-over 233 for the tournament and finishing one stroke behind winner Marcia Wallis of Stanford.

Dwyer said she will re-join the UCLA team in the fall for her junior season.