South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji did not lose a hole on Saturday and defeated Madelene Sagström from Sweden by 7 and 6 in the quarterfinals of the LPGA Match-Play event in Las Vegas.
The match ended after the 12th hole on Shadow Creek Golf Course. Ji did not realize the match was over until her caddy told her.
“I did not know it was my last hole, so I thought, ‘Oh, I’m really tired from now on, and then, okay, I need more focus because I want to be faster,’ Ji said.
Every other quarter-final match was decided in a playoff.
Lilia Vu hit Jenny Shin of South Korea 1 on the second playoff hole, Japanese Ayaka Furue defeated Jodi Ewart Shadoff on the fourth playoff hole, and Andrea Lee needed two playoff holes to send the upstart Gemma Dryburgh.
The plan with 64 players was divided into 16 groups of four in a round-robin group game that ended on Friday. The group winners went on to a 16-player, single elimination. The eight players in the quarter advanced from the knockout stage earlier in the day.
Ji will play against Lee in Sunday’s semi while Furue draws Vu.
Furue said she was more mentally exhausted than physically.
“When I got into the final nine, I was 4-under and so it was pretty mentally draining to have to rely on trying to get some birdies and giving myself enough opportunities to get those birdies, so I would say it is That’s why it’s so mentally draining, “Furue said.
Lee finished the Cinderella race in Dryburgh, which entered the field on Tuesday night. Dryburgh got a lead of 3 up and led by 2 up at the turn.
“You really can not expect your opponent to make mistakes. You have to tell yourself that you have to be the one to make the birdies and the putts,” said Lee. “That’s what we both did during the stretch.”
–Field Level Media