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.