PENN TWP —Two weeks ago, Marissa DeCola sank a putt she will never forget.

Monday, she played a round of golf she'd like to forget.

The Butler graduate and Indiana University freshman carded an 89 in the first round of the U.S. Women's Open Sectional Monday at Butler Country Club, then withdrew from the 36-hole event.

She was the only local player in the 37-golfer field.

“It was the worst round of golf I've played in a couple of years,” DeCola said. “I was tired. There was no sense in staying out there and wearing myself out.”

DeCola joined the Hoosiers in the NCAA regional at the University of Oklahoma over the weekend, playing 18 holes of golf Thursday, Friday and Saturday. She helped them get there by sinking an 8-foot putt on the 18th hole at the Big Ten Championships.

That putt gave Indiana a fifth-place finish and qualified the team for regional play.

“I didn't know it all hinged on that putt,” DeCola said. “My teammates came running toward me after I sank it. I didn't know what was going on.

“Indiana had finished dead last in the Big Ten the year before, so we made quite an improvement.”

And DeCola had quite a schedule.

By the time she arrived home for the Women's Open sectional, it was 9 p.m. Sunday.

“Not much chance to rest,” DeCola admitted. “But it was a home course and I wanted to try it.”

DeCola, 18, played in the U.S. Women's Open Sectional last year at Fox Chapel Country Club and shot a 158 for 36 holes, falling five strokes shy of qualifying for the Women's Open.

Thirty-seven women — representing nine states, Canada and New Zealand — teed off in Monday's sectional. The top two scores advanced. The field included 10 pros — none currently on the LPGA Tour — and an amateur, Erica Herr of New Hope, Pa., carded a 10-over-par 152 for medalist honors.

The other Women's Open qualifier was Rachel Rohanna, a pro out of Waynesburg, who shot a 53. The sectional was one of roughly 12 across the country taking place over a two-week period.

DeCola has been a member of Butler Country Club for two years, but has only played the course five times.

“I did a lot of tournaments last summer,” she said. “I'm not too disappointed over this. I would have liked to have played better, but I'm going to have plenty more opportunities to reach that tournament in coming years.”

Golfers may play in an Open qualifier only once per year. The USGA reported that more than 10,000 men and 1,460 women have registered for Open sectionals this year. Both of those figures are records.

“I can remember when only 500 or 600 women signed up,” USGA representative Jeff Rivard said of past years.

USGA official Courtney Myhrum, a Shady Side resident, asked Butler Country Club to host the Women's Open Sectional.

“The course plays long enough, it plays open and it's in a good location,” she said. “I'd like to bring it back here next year.”

The youngest player in the field at BCC was 12-year-old Naomi Mitchell of Norfolk, Va. She shot rounds of 88 and 92.

Mitchell carries a 2.7 handicap. To be eligible to play in an Open qualifier, golfers must have a pro card or a handicap of 4.4 or lower.

Mitchell tried qualifying as an 11-year-old last year at a course in North Carolina. A 10-year-old girl competed in last year's U.S. Wo men's Open.

“That served as inspiration for me to try,” Mitchell said. “I came up here because I felt the course was easier and played to my strengths more.

“Bit it was cold out here. Cold weather does affect my game.”

The U.S. Women's Open is June 27 in Long Island, N.Y.

DeCola will have to wait another year for another shot. But she's had plenty of success regardless.

“I made the traveling team for every match at Indiana this year,” she said. “They only take five golfers and we have four seniors. I was pretty proud of that.

“My game developed more than I could have imagined over the past year. I can't wait to see how the next three years play out.”