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PORTLAND, Ore. – A quartet of Bruins competed in the U.S. Women's Amateur at the Portland Golf Club this week, with each of them advancing to the match play rounds of the tournament. Incoming freshman Bethany Wu (pictured, photo courtesy of GolfWeek's Tracy Wilcox) made the semifinals, junior Bronte Law reached the quarterfinals, sophomore Lydia Choi advanced to the third round and sophomore Aliea Clark made the Round of 64.
Semifinals Match Play Recap - Saturday
Wu, the #14 seed, was never able to gain an advantage against #18 Sierra Brooks, falling 4 and 2. Brooks won holes 2, 3 and 6 to take an early lead, but Wu got one back with a win at the eighth. Unfortunately, it was the only victory for the runner up at last month's North & South Amateur. Brooks claimed the ninth to go 3-up, and after six halves, a win on the 16th clinched the 4 and 2 win.
Wu won the first three holes against #27 Mika Lui and never trailed by less than 2-up for the rest of the match. Liu won the fourth, but victories for Wu at the sixth and ninth extended her lead to 4-up. Liu took the 11th before Wu had wins on 12 and 14 to clinch the match 5 and 4.
Law, the #39 seed and back-to-back English Women's Amateur champion, fell to Brooks. Law came back after dropping the first hole to win the third and fourth to go 1-up. Wins at six and seven for Brooks put her back up by one, a victory for Law at the eighth squared the match and a triumph for Brooks on the ninth put Law's foe up by one again. Law could get no closer though, losing the 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th to fall 5 and 3.
Third Round Match Play Recap - Thursday Afternoon
The battle of Bruins, between Wu and #62 Choi, was decided in just five holes. Wu never trailed, winning the first hole and then holes four through seven to take a quick 5-up lead. The next seven holes were halved, as Wu posted the 5 and 4 victory.
Law also never trailed against #23 Eun Jeong Seong. Law won the second, lost the fourth and then claimed holes 5, 6, 8 and 9 to go 4-up heading to the back nine. After three halves, Law (14 and 16) and Seong (13 and 15) split the next four holes, with Law's birdie on the 16th clinching the 4 and 2 win.
Second Round Match Play Recap - Thursday Morning
The first Bruin to clinch her spot into the Round of 16 was Law, who beat #58 Gaby Lopez. Lopez took an early lead with a win at the second hole, but Law came back with victories at #4, #6, #8 and #9 to take a 3-up advantage. It remained that way until Lopez won the 14th and 15th to pull to within one. However, a birdie on the par-3 17th for Law clinched the match 2 and 1.
Wu took on #46 Laura Restrepo and was the second Bruin to move on to the Round of 16 with a 3 and 1 triumph. After the two halved the first three holes, Restrepo won the fourth, but victories for Wu at #8, #10 and #11 put the Bruin 2-up. Restrepo won the 12th, Wu took the 14th and Restrepo claimed the 15th, giving Wu a 1-up edge heading toward the 16th. The Bruin would win the next two holes to take the match.
Just minutes after Wu clinched, Choi ensured an all-UCLA matchup in the Round of 16 with a 1-up victory over #30 Malia Nam. For the second straight day, Choi played the full 18 and clinched it on the final hole. Wins at #1 and #5 gave Choi an early lead, but Nam came back to take holes #6, #8 and #9 to go up by one heading toward the back nine. The next four holes were split, as Choi evened the match at the 10th, lost the 11th, won the 12th and dropped the 13th to again find herself 1-down. A victory at the 16th for Choi evened the match, and the duo remained that way heading to the par-5 18th. A par for Choi and a bogey for Nam gave the UCLA sophomore her second straight 1-up victory.
First Round Match Play Recap - Wednesday
Wu never trailed in her contest with #51 Emilie Alonso, winning 2 and 1. Wu won the second and fifth holes to take an early 2-up edge, and after losing the sixth, extended her advantage to 3-up on 11 and 12, ultimately clinching the match on the 17th hole.
Clark was the #17 seed and matched up with #48 Jennifer Kupcho, but fell 4 and 3. The match was tied after three holes, but Clark lost the fourth and was unable to get back to even in the contest.
Law knocked off #26 Maddie Szeryk 3 and 2. The roller-coaster match saw Law fall down by one after the fourth hole before winning the fifth to square it. She would lose the sixth, but won the seventh and eighth to go 1-up, before losing the ninth, as the two were all square heading toward the back nine. After halving the next two holes, Law won the 12th, 14th and 15th to go 3-up, eventually winning following a concession on the 16th.
Choi's match went down to the wire, but the Bruin bested #3 Nelly Korda 1-up. Choi won the first hole, but lost the fifth to go all square. A win at the sixth put her up again, but Korda won the eighth. A victory at 12 gave Korda her first lead, but Choi pulled even on the 15th and then took a 1-up lead with a victory at the 17th. A halve of the 18th gave Choi the victory.
Stroke Play Recap
Wu was tied for ninth after 36 holes of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday, shooting a two-under-par 142. She had five birdies, all on the front nine, including three in a row during her second round on holes 4-6.
Clark was one stroke behind Wu with a one-under 143 (T-15). After an opening-round 73, Clark was three shots better on Tuesday, making four birdies.
Law tied for 33rd in stroke play with a two-over 146 after a pair of 73's. Like Wu, Law also had five birdies in her 36 holes.
Choi shot a pair of 74's to go four-over, tying for 55th and needing to advance to the match play through a playoff. Sixteen players were battling for 10 spots, and thanks to a pair of pars on the first two holes of the playoff, Choi earned the third-to-last spot in the match play.