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Stanford's Andrea Lee wins Mark H. McCormack Medal as leading women's amateur in 2019
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A semifinal finish at last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship wasn’t necessarily the outcome Andrea Lee was hoping for at Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi. But it was enough to help her secure a different prize.
On Wednesday, the USGA and R&A announced that the 20-year-old rising senior at Stanford was the winner of the Mark H. McCormack Medal, given to the leading women’s player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the summer. Lee had been ranked No. 2 the previous week, but passed Sweden’s Frida Kinhult in the final ranking thanks to reaching the final four at the Women's Amateur.
The honor comes with some nice spoils. Provided she remains an amateur into next year, Lee is exempt into the U.S. Women’s Open and the AIG Women’s British Open. Additionally, she has secured a spot on the 2020 U.S. Curtis Cup team. Lee played for Team USA in 2018 when the Americans won in lopsided fashion over Great Britain & Ireland at Quaker Ridge.
During the 2019 season, Lee qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and was one of five amateurs to make the cut at C.C. of Charleston. She was finished in third place at the Canadian Women’s Amateur.
At Stanford, Lee already shares the school record for most individual wins (eight) and has earned first-team All-American honors all three seasons with the Cardinal.
“It goes to show that all of my hard work throughout this past year has really paid off, and to be at the top of the rankings is a very surreal feeling,” Lee said. “This will only serve as further motivation to continue to work towards my goals in this game.”
Lee was ranked No. 1 earlier in the summer, and held the ranking for seven weeks during the course of the year.