Clarksville High's McKinley Cunningham qualifies for USGA event in July

McKinley Cunningham saw friend and competitor Sadie Pan running toward the 18th green at the Brentwood Country Club on Wednesday to give her the good news.

"I had no idea but I had my suspicions when I saw Sadie running toward me," Cunningham said.

The Clarksville High incoming junior shot a 2-over 73 to finish in second place and earn a qualifying spot in the USGA Girls' Junior Amateur Championship next month.

"I was super stoked about it," Cunningham said. "I didn't know if I had qualified or not because I wasn't keeping up who was at the top of the leaderboard. I was just trying to stay focused and par my way through the course."

Cunningham, who led CHS to third place at last fall's Class AAA state golf tournament, will get a chance to compete in the Junior Am July 16-21 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif.

"It's an amazing feeling," Cunningham said. "But I really didn't prepare myself any differently for the qualifying event. I didn't think I really had a chance to qualify."

Cunningham was in the final group to tee off Wednesday morning along with Gallatin's Lynn Lim and Sophie Linder of Carthage.

Florida native Cindy Kou shot a 5-under 66 to finish in first place Wednesday. Only the top two finishers advance to the USGA Girls Junior Am.

The one-day qualifier included 22 golfers and featured Cunningham with high school teammates Kendall Maynard and Cameron Waltman. Former Rossview High star and Middle Tennessee State incoming freshman Catherine Caudill also competed, as well as Pan, another Rossview product.

Caudill qualified for the USGA Junior Am in 2016 while former Clarksville High greats Mariah Smith (2015) and Samantha Gotcher (2012) also qualified for the event.

"There was a full hour between the first group of girls and our final group so I could kind of see what was happening and how others were shooting," Cunningham said. "I figured that if I remained around par, I'd have a chance."

Cunningham said she's had her summer planned out for months and will compete in the Tennessee Junior Am early next month before traveling to California for the USGA event.

"I'm going to dial into my short game," she said. "You're talking about the best young players in the nation competing at Poppy Hills so I want to make sure I'm ready when the time comes."

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.