Gaston Qualifies for U.S. Open

Andrea Gaston of Canoga Park continued her dramatic comeback to tournament golf by tying for medalist honors at a U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifying tournament Friday at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.

Gaston fired a one-under-par 71 to earn one of eight available berths in the Open, to be held July 21-24 at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, Mich.

Gaston, beset by debilitating putting woes, quit the game as a top amateur in 1978 and didn’t return until 1992. Gaston was the low amateur at Old Ranch and was one of four players to shoot 71, a list that included Muffin Spencer-Devlin.

Thanks to hours of practice, her short game has held up well for months. “I’ve really been working hard on it,� she said.

It marked the second time Gaston has qualified for the Open and the second time she has won a sectional qualifier. She won a sectional in 1977 in Modesto, Calif.

In the past year, Gaston, 36, has advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and won the State Amateur and Long Beach City Women’s championships. She was runner-up last month at the Broadmoor Classic and is the 15th-ranked amateur in the nation by Golfweek magazine.

Linda Chen Olsen of Northridge, a member Porter Valley Country Club along with Gaston, shot 73 and was eliminated in a five-way playoff for the final Open berth.