For the second consecutive year, Gabriela Ruffels has advanced to the 36-hole championship match of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which in itself is an impressive accomplishment. Now as she attempts to have her name engraved on the Robert Cox Trophy for a second time she will have to get past 17-year-old Rose Zhang, a high school senior, who has rolled past her competition at Woodmont Country Club this week despite battling a wrist injury.

Patience and stamina will be paramount on Sunday, as this will be the third consecutive day both competitors will have played multiple rounds because of the impact of Hurricane Isaias earlier in the week. After the morning round, the players will break for lunch and will begin the afternoon round at 12:30 EDT. Golf Channel will broadcast the action from Woodmont Country Club starting at 1 p.m. EDT.

Here are three things to know for Sunday’s championship match:

Historic Run

Ruffels is attempting to join Danielle Kang, Kelli Kuehne, Kay Cockerill and Juli Inkster as the only players since World War II to successfully defend their U.S. Women’s Amateur titles. In addition, Ruffels has the longest consecutive-match winning streak to start her Women’s Amateur career since Dorothy Campbell in 1909-11. Ruffels’ 2-and-1 semifinal victory over Valery Plata moved her match play record to 11-0, passing Kimberly Kim, who won 10 straight in 2006-07.

Finals Experience

Ruffels isn’t the only player with experience in a USGA championship final. Zhang was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior, but stuck around to caddie for her friend Lei Ye. Zhang was on Ye’s bag for her semifinal and championship match victories at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. “Watching her play in the final was such a great experience for me,” said Zhang. “I learned so much that I can carry over into the Women’s Am.”

Playing from Behind

Ruffels has fallen behind in each of her first five matches at Woodmont. The biggest culprit has been the two par 5s on the front nine – Nos. 3 and 5 – which she has lost a combined eight times in five matches. In total, she has trailed after 28 holes, yet has come out ahead each time. How does that compare to last year? At Old Waverly, Ruffels trailed after just six holes heading into the final, and her largest deficit was 1 down. Ruffels’ mother, Anna-Maria Fernandez, joked they may have to change up their breakfast routine on Sunday to get off to a better start.

Mike Trostel is the executive producer of content for the USGA. Email him at mtrostel@usga.org.