Sports TRACKer: A teenager we can all root for — at the U.S. Open

Most of the time, our local rooting interests revolve around teams — UNC, NC State, Duke, the Carolina Hurricanes. And of course, sometimes those loyalties are deeply divided.

But I've got an individual that everyone in the Triangle can rally around for a few days in early July.

It's a major national event.

And the athlete is a 17-year-old girl.

Katherine Perry is a budding golf star and a rising senior at Athens Drive High School, and what she has done is nothing short of astounding. She has qualified for the Women's U.S. Open July 6-12 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Katherine finished third in a local qualifier, earning the right to play in a sectional qualifier. In that event, she beat the entire field, including several LPGA touring professionals, to earn a spot in the Women's U.S. Open field.

Beginning July 6, the Cary resident will compete head-to-head against the top professionals on the women's golf tour, along with a few dozen other qualifiers like herself.

I've spent my adult life covering sports, from high schools to the major leagues. And for my money, there's nothing better than the rare occasion when a young athlete or team does something remarkable on a big stage.

I interviewed Katherine a couple weeks ago at Lochmere Golf Club for an article in Triangle Golf Today (available free at Dicks Sporting Goods and local golf pro shops or here: Area teenager headed to U.S. Women's Open), and I can assure you that she is worth rooting for. For starters, she smiles a lot and she is unfailingly polite. As well-wishers greeted her that day, she returned their kindness with enthusiasm.

Katherine Perry will not win the U.S. Open. More than likely, she won't make the cut, meaning her combined Thursday-Friday score will not qualify her for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. (And when amateurs do make the cut, they cannot keep their prize money. Otherwise, they would lose their amateur status).

In reality, where Katherine finishes is not so important. It's the fact that she will play in the Women's U.S. Open. It will be one of the highlights of her life, regardless of how successful she becomes in the future.

Of course, let's still hope she pulls off some kind of miracle. Isn't that why we follow sports in the first place? Because we don't know who will win, and sometimes there are Cinderella stories. And I can't imagine anything better than a 17-year-old local girl — a kid — wearing the glass slipper. I asked her if she had ever played better back-to-back rounds of golf than her two qualifying rounds for the Open. She giggled and declared, "No way!"

Katherine knows it's going to be a great ride when she tees off in the Open. Just for fun, make a point of following along. You can check her tee times and then follow the live scoring at http://www.2009uswomensopen.com.