Saki Baba, Monet Chun ride hole-outs into U.S. Women's Amateur Semifinals
Dade City, Florida's Bailey Shoemaker tees off on the first hole of her quarterfinals match with Leigh Chien of Irvine, Calif. in the U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay Golf Course on August 12, 2022. (photo by Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - Ireland's Annabel Wilson, Canada's Monet Chun, Japan's Saki Baba and Bailey Shoemaker of Florida have each advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay Golf Course.
Wilson earned a 3-and-1 victory over Princeton freshman Catherine Rao to earn her spot while Shoemaker, a 2023 commit to USC, cruised to 5-and-3 victory over 2023 Stanford commit Leigh Chien.
Baba had a 4-and-3 victory over University of New Mexico senior Lauren Lehigh that included a dramatic hole-out from 120 yards away for eagle on the short par-4 12th hole that gave her a 5-up lead with six holes left to play.
Baba birdied the final four holes of the front nine to race out to a 4-up lead, which included a chip-in birdie on the par 4 7th. After Lehigh won the 10th to get a hole back, Baba won the 11th to make it a 5-up lead again. The eagle on 12 led Lehigh to just shake her head as she approached the elevated green to see the shot from Baba had gone in.
"Lauren’s drive went to a really good position," Baba said through a translator, via the USGA. "I just had to make that birdie. That’s where I aimed it, and I didn’t expect it to go in. I’m really happy about it."
Baba is the first player from Japan to reach the semifinals since Michiko Hattori in 1988.
Japan's Saki Baba tees off on the 14th hole at Chambers Bay Golf Course during her quarterfinals match with University of New Mexico senior Lauren Lehigh in the U.S. Women's Amateur on August 18, 2022. (photo by Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)
Chun's match with USC junior Brianna Navarossa was the highlight of the afternoon. Chun holed out from the bunker short left of the 17th green for birdie to take a 1-up lead to the 18th hole. The 25-yard bunker shot caught the slope above the hole and to the left and turned it back toward the middle front pin location. It fell over the lip with perfect speed to give Chun the advantage.
"Honestly keeping it on the green I would have been really happy right there," Chun said of the shot. "If it was a 15-footer, I would have been happy. If it was 20-footer, I would have been happy."
Nararossa answered back with a birdie on the last to force extra holes before Chun earned the victory on the first playoff hole.
Navarossa survived a match with No. 3-ranked player in the world Rachel Heck Thursday morning and a 21-hole marathon match against Australia's Kelsey Bennett in the afternoon to reach the quarterfinals.
Navarossa's tee shot on the 10th hole found the right fairway bunker whole Chun split the fairway. Navarossa chunked her ball back into the fairway and found the right collar of rough next to the narrow green with her third shot. With Chun safely inside 15 feet for birdie, Navarossa conceded after her chip raced by the hole.
"This was tough. I was behind early on and was behind late on too and finally got my groove going, sinking some putts when I needed to so I'm proud of myself for that," Navarossa said.
Chun went through the first three days and four rounds of the even without using a caddie. However, Chun elected to put her mother, Elena, on the bag beginning in the quarterfinals after the two-round day on Wednesday.
Canada's Monet Chun tees off on the seventh hole during her quarterfinals match with Brianna Navarossa in the U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay Golf Course on August 12, 2022. (photo by Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)
Wilson, a member of the Curtis Cup team for Great Britain and Ireland, weathered a tight back-and-forth match with Rao. The match was never more than 1-up for either player until Wilson won the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to seal away the match.
"I have a lot of experience playing in wind, which is a big bonus," Wilson said. "You can't put too much spin on it. You've just got to play solidly, middle of the green, two putts. Nothing special.
"I was just delighted to be here and play well in the stroke play and everything after that is a bonus. Just enjoying being out here and I'm hitting it well so normally when that's the case for me I just enjoy hitting nice shots."
After her tee shot on the 16th hole, Rao noticeably winced and grabbed at her neck area. She was unable to keep up with Wilson afterward.
Ireland's Annabel Wilson hits out of the greenside bunker on the 10th hole at Chambers Bay Golf Course during her quarterfinals match with Princeton freshman Catherine Rao in the U.S. Women's Amateur on August 12, 2022. (photo by Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)
Shoemaker didn't drop a single hole in her victory over Chien. A par on the second hole and a chip-in birdie at the fifth gave her a 2-up advantage. As Chien faltered with bogeys on the 10th and 11th, Shoemaker kept making pars to extend her advantage.
"It's a really hard golf course. You miss here and you're missing big. Basically every shot has to be perfect and you have to make a lot of putts," Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker earned a 2-up victory over future USC teammate Amari Avery in the Round of 16 on Thursday evening that was the match of the week. The duo combined to shoot 14-under par between them with Shoemaker posting an 8-under par 65 in the victory, which would have matched the course record LSU's Latanna Stone set earlier in the week if it were a stroke play round.
"Amari is one of the best players in the world (No. 11) and a future teammate. It was just awesome to be able to compete with her. I was just hoping to compete yesterday and to pull out a win was really helping the confidence so hopefully I can take that into tomorrow," Shoemaker said.
All eight quarterfinals are exempt into next year's U.S. Women's Amateur set to be held at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.
Wilson and Chun will be the first pair off on Saturday at 11 a.m. Baba and Shoemaker will be in the final group teeing off at 11:15 a.m.
The winners will advance to Sunday's 36-hole final set to tee off at 9 a.m.