WWGA 95th Junior Match Play
Frankfort, Ill., (June 23, 2022) — Match Play commenced this morning with the low 16 players from the two-day stroke play qualifying rounds participating in the match play portion of the tournament.
In the first match of the day, Medalist Addison Klonowski, Naples, Fla. (147) defeated Kate Brody, Grand Blanc, Mich. (153) 2 & 1.
Klonowski stated, “It was a little bit different than yesterday. I was just trying to make pars, I felt like that was good enough. I was just trying to hit the fairways, hit the greens, and if it rolls in, it rolls in. But, I was just trying to stay consistent and see if the other girl made mistakes. I think match play is more entertaining, I like it a lot better.”
In her morning match, Brynn Kort, Henderson, Nev. (151) defeated Amelie Phung, Forest Hills, N.Y. (151) 6 & 4. Before her quarterfinal match, she reflected on her first performance of the day. She said, “I got an early start right away. Went 1-up on the first hole, but I knew I needed to keep the pressure on her. I needed to keep the pedal down and just decided to play safe golf and that’s all you needed to do today.”
In the third match, number 13 seed, Lauren Pham, Las Vegas, Nev. (152) defeated Haley Davis of Ocala, Fla. (149) 2 & 1. Pham seized the lead early. At the turn, she was 1-up over Davis. Then, Davis’ mid- round charge gave her a 1-up lead after 14 holes. Pham won the last three holes, reclaiming the match.
The number 5 seed Jessica Mason, Westminster, Colo., (149) defeated Sayers Allen, Spring Branch, Tex. (152) 1-up. The tightly contested match came down to the wire at the final hole, where Mason’s accurate approach led her to a winning tap in birdie putt.
In the biggest upset of the day, 15-seeded Audrey Rischer, Columbia, Mo. (153) defeated the number 2 seed Chloe Tarkany, Scottsdale, Ariz. (148) 5 & 4. Rischer said, “I hit all the greens on the front nine, so I felt pretty confident. I was hitting the ball well. Two-putting a lot, I really only made one birdie, I think, but still felt pretty good about it.”
Kate Tilma, Wichita, Kan. (151) defeated Maria Jose Barragan, Morelia, Mexico, (150) 2 & 1. Tilma had a 1-up lead after the front nine before a rollercoaster sequence between holes 12 and 16. Barragan won hole 12 to tie the match, but Tilma quickly responded by winning holes 13 and 14. Barragan won hole 15 before Tilma won hole 16 as well as the match.
There were two extra hole matches in the morning matches with international players vying for a chance to play in the quarterfinals. Luisamariana (Mariana) Mesones, Lima, Peru, (149) defeated Vilda Westh Blanc from Sweden (153) on the 21st hole.
Mesones stated, “The match was really long, my competitor was really good. We would win with birdies and pars; it was a really tough competition. At the end it took all my strength, I managed to finish strong. The course is really pretty, very challenging and in good condition.”
Fresh out of her fourteenth birthday, Lisa Copeland, Naperville, Ill., (152) defeated Samantha Brown, Westfield, Ind. (150) on the 21st hole. Copeland who will be headed to high school in the fall, cruised through the first 10 holes, grabbing a 4-up lead. But Brown stormed back to win four of the last eight holes and forced extra holes. On the third extra hole, Copeland won the match with a par to earn the last quarterfinal spot.
In the afternoon semifinals, Klonowski defeated Kort 2 & 1 in a “neck and neck” match and Mason defeated Pham 5 & 3.
Klonowski said in the afternoon, “I feel relieved. It’s been a long day, I’ve never played that long in a long time. But I know I just wanted to make pars out there, to be honest, I was getting a little bit tired and my legs were a little bit sore toward the end.”
After the front nine, Mason was 2-up and birdied the 11th and 13th holes ending the match.
Completing the Semifinalists, Rischer defeated Tilma 1-up and Copeland punched the final semifinal ticket defeating Mesones 1-up.
WWGA President Susan Buchanan commented, “After 78 players started the tournament week, we are now down to four semifinalists. Tomorrow afternoon we will crown the 95th WWGA Junior Champion. Throughout the week, all these girls walked the same fairways that Nancy Lopez walked 50 years ago on her way to the first of her three consecutive WWGA Junior wins. Wish I had a crystal ball to see into the future and who, of the players this week, will follow in Lopez’s footsteps.”
The semifinals begin at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow
with the championship match in the afternoon.