Birmingham’s Scarlett Schremmer takes aim at U.S. Women’s Am

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. – Scarlett Schremmer wasn’t on the original media day schedule for the upcoming U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the Honors Course.

Tennessee Women’s Amateur champion Molly Hardwick was on the schedule. The second spot was TBD – based on the winner of a local qualifier. And thanks to a blistering 8-under-par 64 at the nearby Black Creek to win the local qualifier to advance to the main draw, Scarlett Schremmer earned at invitation to the media day.

So it was easy for her to hang around Chattanooga for one more day to meet with a small group of media members along with USGA, tournament organizers and club officials.

The Honors Course will host the tournament Aug. 4-9.

Schremmer, who is a rising sophomore at the University of Miami in Florida who when home in Birmingham plays at Shoal Creek and Greystone Golf Club, touched on a variety of subjects before playing the Honors Course for the first time.

After a celebrated junior career and time spent on the U.S. Junior Developmental team, Schremmer is still looking for a breakthrough win on the national stage. She’s come close, to be sure, having advanced to the round of 16 at both the U.S. Women’s Am and U.S. Junior Women’s Amateur a year ago.

Scalett Schremmer : Comfortable at Miami

She’s coming off a win at the Women’s Southern Amateur in early June and after starting her college career at Texas A&M, Schremmer has found a more comfortable environment at Miami. Expectations, she said, can be a difficult road to travel.

“It felt like there were a lot of expectations about how I needed to play and what people expected of me,” she said. “I think that kind of got the best of me for a little bit, and it was really hard making that transition. I don’t think people are always honest about how difficult it is to go from playing high school golf to playing college golf. But now that I’ve made my move and transferred, everything just feels so much more comfortable and natural.”

Schremmer, whose mother is former professional golfer Patty Erhart, played two tournaments at Texas A&M before transferring to Miami. She was ineligible her first semester with the Hurricanes. The only tournament she played in during the spring was the Portugues Open. But she has teed it up three times in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, including the first time when she was 16.

“It’s just such a great opportunity,” she said. “As much as you sometimes want to block out the pressure, it’s also cool to embrace it because it’s such a special place. Being able to take it all in for what it really is makes it an incredible experience.”

Even though Schremmer has yet to win the ANWA, Schremmer likes the event.

“I always seem to play better in the practice rounds,” she said. “I’ve always shot a couple under there. I feel like the course fits my eye. It’s such a difficult golf course, but because it’s so perfectly manicured and always in incredible condition, it almost makes it a little easier to trust your shots.”

Coming off the 64 in the qualifier, Schremmer, the 19-year-old former surfer, is teeming with confidence heading into the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and beyond on a course that is synonymous with hosting high-level USGA events such as the U.S. Men’s Amateur and the U.S. Men’s Senior Amateur.

“More than anything, especially after playing yesterday, I saw a little bit of what I know I’m capable of,” she said. “I’ve played well this summer, so I’m just going to go in and do the best I can. Everyone is trying to play their best golf, and hopefully that’s me. But week to week, it’s always changing.”

Featured image of Scarlett Schremmer (at right) by Gregg Dewalt

Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News

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