FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In Thursday morning’s power-packed round-of-32 match-up of the last two U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship stroke-play medalists, Angel Yin emerged victorious.
Yin, 15, of Arcadia, Calif., who captured medalist honors on Tuesday, survived a back-and-forth match with 2013 medalist Bailey Tardy, 17, of Norcross, Ga., earning a a 1-up victory at Forest Highlands Golf Club’s Meadow Course.
While Yin held a 1-up advantage for much of the match, Tardy brought things to all square with a birdie at the par-4 15th. Yin needed a clutch 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to take the win.
I had to judge the speed really well, said Yin of her shot, knowing that if she didn’t put enough speed on the putt, it would break away from the hole.
Yin’s next opponent will be 17-year-old Cindy Ha, of Demarest, N.J., who advanced with a 3-and-2 win over Yealimi Noh. Ha reached the semifinals at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, conducted last week at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.
One of the marquee round-of-16 matches on Thursday afternoon, will pit long-hitting Gigi Stoll, 17, of Tigard, Ore., against 15-year-old Andrea Lee, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., who made the cut at last month’s U.S. Women’s Open. Stoll, who will attend the University of Arizona in the fall of 2015, advanced with a smooth 7-and-5 win over Virginia Green. Lee, who electrified the crowd on Wednesday with a rare double-eagle, eliminated Yuka Saso by a comfortable 6-and-5 margin. Neither Stoll nor Lee trailed en route to victory.
Princess Mary Superal continued her easy march through the match-play bracket. The 17-year-old from the Philippines never trailed in her 3-and-2 win over Anna Zhou. Superal, who posted an 8-and-6 win on Wednesday, will meet Kristen Gillman, of Austin, Texas, in the round of 16.
Sofia Chabon, the 13-year-old Filipina who upset local favorite Hannah O’Sullivan on Wednesday, reached the round of 16 with a 4-and-3 win over Gabrielle Barker. With Noh’s loss, Chabon is now the youngest player remaining in the match-play draw.
Chabon next faces Binny Lee, who won, 4 and 2, over her fellow Frisco, Texas, native Courtney Dow.
Last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion Eun Jeong Seong finally ran out of gas, falling to Gillman, 4 and 3. Seong was playing in her 13th competitive 18-hole round in the last 11 days.
Bethany Wu, of Diamond Bar, Calif., a 2013 Girls’ Junior semifinalist, also cruised to a 6-and-4 win over Samantha Wagner. Wu also eliminated Wagner in last year’s championship, 1 up.
Christina Lance is an assistant manager of communications for the USGA. Email her at clance@usga.org.
Results
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Results from Thursday’s second round of match play at the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, being conducted on the Meadow Course at the 6,718-yard, par-72 Forest Highlands Golf Club:
Upper Bracket
Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. (131) def. Bailey Tardy, Norcross, Ga. (147), 1 up
Cindy Ha, Demarest, N.J. (145) def. Yealimi Noh, Concord, Calif. (149), 3 and 2
Mary Janiga, Wellington, Fla. (148) def. Robynn Ree, Redondo Beach, Calif. (150), 1 up
Brigitte Dunne, Camarillo, Calif. (148) def. Hailee Cooper, Montgomery, Texas (149), 19 holes
Princess Mary Superal, Philippines (142) def. Anna Zhou, Palo Alto, Calif. (147), 3 and 2
Kristen Gillman, Austin, Texas (143) def. Eunjeong Seong, Republic of Korea (148), 4 and 3
Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. (142) def. Samantha Wagner, Windermere, Fla. (147), 6 and 4
Rose Huang, Honolulu, Hawaii (149) def. Courtney Zeng, Orlando, Fla. (148), 3 and 2
Lower Bracket
Marijosse Navarro, Mexico (136) def. Monica Dibildox, Mexico (147), 3 and 1
Shannon Brooks, Vienna, Va. (149) def. Ana Paula Valdes, Mexico (145), 4 and 3
Gigi Stoll, Tigard, Ore. (142) def. Virginia Green, Point Clear, Ala. (148), 7 and 5
Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (143) def. Yuka Saso, Philippines (145), 6 and 5
Jiyoon Jang, Rancho Mirage, Calif. (150) vs. Shelly Shin, Australia (147)
Clare Amelia Legaspi, Philippines (143) def. Janet Mao, Johns Creek, Ga. (145), 6 and 4
Binny Lee, Frisco, Texas (150) def. Courtney Dow, Frisco, Texas (146), 4 and 2
Sofia Chabon, Philippines (149) def. Gabrielle Barker, Caldwell, Idaho (145), 4 and 3
Pairings
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Pairings for Thursday’s third round of match play at the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, being conducted on the Meadow Course at the 6,718-yard, par-72 Forest Highlands Golf Club (All times MST):
Upper Bracket
12:45 p.m. – Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. (131) vs. Cindy Ha, Demarest, N.J. (145)
12:55 p.m. –Mary Janiga, Wellington, Fla. (148) vs. Brigitte Dunne, Camarillo, Calif. (148)
1:05 p.m. – Princess Mary Superal, Philippines (142) vs. Kristen Gillman, Austin, Texas (143)
1:15 p.m. – Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. (142) vs. Rose Huang, Honolulu, Hawaii (149)
Lower Bracket
1:25 p.m. – Marijosse Navarro, Mexico (136) vs. Shannon Brooks, Vienna, Va. (149)
1:35 p.m. – Gigi Stoll, Tigard, Ore. (142) vs. Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (143)
1:45 p.m. – Shelly Shin, Australia (147) vs. Clare Amelia Legaspi, Philippines (143)
1:55 p.m. – Binny Lee, Frisco, Texas (150) vs. Sofia Chabon, Philippines (149)