What Happened

Notable

• Both finalists are exempt into the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina, provided they are still amateurs. Kristen Gillman tied for 27th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Shoal Creek and missed the cut in 2015. Jiwon Jeon has never played in a U.S. Women’s Open.
  
  
• This was only the second time in Women’s Amateur history that both Semifinal matches went extra holes. The last time it occurred was 1900 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
  
  
• Before Saturday’s 23-hole match, the longest Semifinal match occurred in 1915 when Mrs. C.H. Vanderbeck defeated Alexa Stirling in 22 holes at Onwenstia Country Club.
  
  
• If Gillman wins Sunday, she will automatically earn a spot on the USA Women’s World Amateur Team that will compete at Carton House in the Republic of Ireland at the end of the month. Automatic spots go to the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion (if American) and the winner of the McCormack Medal for being No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™ on Aug. 15. Jennifer Kupcho is already on the three-person team by being No. 1 in the WAGR on July 25.
  
  
• The only time Gillman led in her last two matches has been on the 19th hole.
  
  
• Should Gillman win the title, it would be four years between championships. The longest span between titles belongs to Dorothy Campbell Hurd (14), who won in 1910 and again in 1924.
  
  
• Jeon is bidding to become the fifth Korean-born champion, joining Pearl Sinn (1988), Grace Park (1998), Lydia Ko (2012) and Eun Jeong Seong (2016). Ko was born in Korea, but moved to New Zealand at a young age.  

Quotable

Kristen Gillman, 20, of Austin, Texas, on her thought process in the fairway on No. 18 after Kaylee Benton found the hazard with her tee shot:

“I was trying to play left of the flag when I should have just kind of been playing safe. I was just trying to play it low to the flag, but I had a 4-hybrid in [and] I pulled it a little bit and hit it in the hazard. I had a decent lie over there, but I didn’t want to take any chances of not getting it out because I felt like if I didn’t get out, then I would be done. I just wanted to take a drop and try to get up and down [for bogey].”

Gillman on her mindset going to the par-3 10th hole for a second consecutive extra-hole match:

“I think it definitely helped because yesterday I was nervous going to that tee again. Today, I was even more nervous than I was yesterday, surprisingly. But I hit the same club (7-iron) as I did earlier, and I knew there was a little bit more wind to my face, but with that pin, you can’t go long. I’d rather stay on the short side and just kind of putt it up there close to kind of put pressure on her to have to make the putt to extend the match.”

Gillman on her uncanny ability to rally in matches:

“I think it’s more I just have the right personality for it. It’s always a lot more stressful being from behind, so I don't think I’d ever pick to do that, but I never get too worried if I’m coming from behind because I know that I have the capability to come back. If it doesn’t [happen], then it’s just not meant to be. But I know that I’m able to do that. It’s not too bad coming from behind, but obviously I’d prefer to be ahead.”

Kaylee Benton, 21, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., on what she learned from her run this week:

“I just feel like I can play here and learned a lot about myself and how I handle pressure. An unfortunate end, but I still feel like I handled myself well this week. Yeah, good week.”

Jiwon Jeon, 21, of the Republic of Korea, on preparing for the 36-hole final in what promises to be another hot and humid day:

“Well, stay hydrated, obviously, and then try to focus on each shot and just stay calm and just stay in the moment and keep going.”

Jeon on reaching the championship match in her first USGA championship appearance:

“Honestly, I wasn’t really confident before I came here. I was actually not going to play this tournament. But I came here, and then now my confidence got really rising. It’s like I’m 90 percent or more confident about my game right now.”

Jeon on the reason she entered the U.S. Women’s Amateur:

“I always wanted to play this tournament, and last year I didn’t play qualifying or anything, I don’t think I was ready. But this year I was exempt to the U.S. [Women’s] Am [based on being in the top 25 of the WAGR], so I just signed up, and I came up this far.”

Lauren Stephenson, 21, of Lexington, S.C., on the emotional and physical stress of playing 23 holes:

“Yeah, I’m really tired. I told my dad on the last hole, I’m so tired.”

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.

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