Texan Papp Budde Advances From Playoff, Headed Back to U.S. Women's Open

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  WAYZATA, Minn. – Entering Monday’s U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Woodhill Country Club, Texan Kaitlyn Papp Budde is enjoying the best two-week stretch of her professional career.

Playing at the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle L.A. Championship at Wilshire Country Club late last month, Papp earned the biggest paycheck of her career by finishing tied for 13th, and followed it by notching an eighth-place finish at the Epson Tour’s Casino Del Sol Golf Classic Saturday in Tucson, Ariz.

Papp Budde’s good fortune continued Monday, posting a 36-hole tally of even par 142 before surviving a two-hole playoff to earn a trip to her fourth U.S. Women’s Open.

“Like any other [U.S. Women’s Open] qualifier, you know it’s already going to be a physically and mentally challenging day,” Papp Budde said after qualifying. “The U.S. Open requires the best of every part of your game. I feel like I’ve been playing good golf and my confidence is starting to build back up again.”

Papp Budde opened with a 2-over 73 during her opening round to earn a share of the lead despite carding a single birdie in challenging conditions.

“I was a little frustrated, but optimistic—I hit it great off the tee the whole first round, but I didn’t make any birdies,” she said. “I knew I’d have to make birdies in the second round.

“Today it was very windy and gusty at times. The rough here was very thick and some of the pin placements were pretty tricky. I feel like this golf course was a good test because I’ve never seen rough so thick at a qualifier.”

A string of three birdies over a four-hole span, including a pair of tap-ins, pushed Papp Budde into a share of the lead with former Iowa State University golfer Joy Chou.

Both players failed to save par on the first playoff hole before Papp Budde rolled in her birdie chance from eight feet on the second playoff hole to claim the lone qualifying spot to the 2024 championship at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa., beginning May 30.

“Off the tee I was most happy with today,” Papp Budde said. “I missed one, maybe two, fairways all day. That definitely helped me avoid more bogeys.”

Papp Budde qualified for the 2019 championship at The Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., shooting 74-77 to miss the cut by six strokes.

She returned the following year to The Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, where she posted a 3-over 287 to finish tied for ninth, earning an exemption into the 2021 championship at the storied Olympic Club near San Francisco for her first start as a professional, missing the cut by five.

In 23 career starts on the LPGA Tour since 2019, Papp Budde has made 10 cuts, amassing more than $106,000 in earnings.

On the Epson Tour, Papp Budde has started 21 events, making 14 cuts and placing inside the top-10 on four occasions.

In 2016, Papp Budde teamed up with former Texas A&M golfer Hailee Cooper to with the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Fla.

With 19 top-10 finishes during her collegiate career at the University of Texas, Papp was a two-time All-American, while holding the Longhorn school record for career stroke average at 71.91.

Chou finished as first alternate Monday, while Wisconsin’s Emily Lauterbach finished as second alternate, shooting 3-over 145.

This year’s championship marks the second time the U.S. Women’s Open has been contested at the 104-year-old William Flynn design. Korean In Gee Chun fired a final-round 66 to earn a one-stroke victory at the 2015 championship.