Rattana Wins Twice to Advance to Chick Evans Junior Amateur Semifinal

TC Incoming Freshman Rallies in Quarterfinal to Win on Final Hole

Tusculum College incoming freshman Ciara Rattana went 2-0 on Wednesday to advance to the semifinal of the 34th annual Chick Evans Junior Amateur Golf Championship. The event is being held at the Itasca Country Club.

Rattana, a native ofWestern Springs,Illinois, opened the day with a 3 & 2 win over Maria Harrast ofOak Brook,Illinois in Wednesday’s opening match. In the afternoon quarterfinal match with Margaret Hickey (Glencoe,Ill.), Rattana was down three holes at the turn, but she would chip away at the deficit and captured the final two holes to secure the victory.

Rattana advances to Thursday’s semifinal where she will take on Louise McCulloch of Wilmette, Illinois at 7 a.m. (CDT).

Earlier in the week, Rattana posted rounds of 77 and 69 to advance to the match-play portion of the tournament. She advanced to the quarterfinal round of this event last year.

Rattana recently completed her prep career at Lyons Township High School where she was a four-time IHSA state qualifier. She finished tied for 16th at this year’s Illinois State championship. She is a three-time All-Conference and All-Region selection and was a two-time All-Sectional honoree. She finished runner-up at the 2012 sectional tournament and tied for third at the regional championship in 2011 and again in 2012. She captured medalist honors at the Bishop McNamara Invitational carding a 74 and finished runner up at the Providence Catholic Invitational.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference.

Tusculum, the oldest college in the State of Tennessee, sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports. Tusculum, the 28th oldest college in the nation, is a liberal arts institution committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately twenty-one hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and three off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.