Jo Jo Robertson

Jo Jo Robertson, 21, of Roswell, N.M., won the 1997 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship for the second time in three years, defeating Angie Yoon, 18, of San Diego, Calif., 3 and 2, in the final at Center Square (Pa.) Golf Club.

"I still can't believe that it all happened," said Robertson, the 1995 champion.Robertson joined three other players as two-time winners: Kelly Fuiks (1977, '78); Lori Castillo (1979, '80); and Pearl Sinn (1988, '89). Robertson, however, is the first to win twice with a year between victories.

It was a long day of golf for Robertson and Yoon. Both players won semifinal matches in the morning, with Robertson defeating Shannon Ingalls of Fallbrook, Calif., 4 and 2, and Yoon defeating Amy Spooner of Margate, Fla., 3 and 2.

In the final, Robertson, playing in her eighth WAPL championship, won the fourth hole with a birdie and the ninth hole with a par to arrive at the tenth tee, 2 up.

Robertson lost the 11th hole with a bogey and the 12th hole to Yoon's birdie, but was unrattled by a few loose shots.

"I pulled a couple of tee shots to the left, but I didn't let it bother me that much," Robertson said.

Robertson hit her approach shot to the middle of the 13th green after Yoon's second shot landed in a greenside bunker. She made a 25-foot birdie putt to go 1 up and parred the 14th hole to go 2 up when Yoon was again bunkered.

The match, like the two morning semifinal matches, ended on the 16th hole. Both players drove into the rough but Robertson had the better lie and escaped with a bogey to Yoon's double-bogey to close out her opponent, 3 and 2.

Yoon, playing in her first national championship, said her lack of experience wasn't a factor.

"I was hitting the ball well and felt very comfortable in front of the big gallery," Yoon said. "On the last four holes I got tired and my swing got a little lazy."

Robertson was an incoming senior at Oklahoma State University. Yoon, a recent high school graduate, was to enter the University of Nevada at Reno on a golf scholarship.

Defending champion Heather Graff of Kennewick, Wash., was medalist in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying with 72-72-144 over the par-72 Center Square Golf Club. Graff was defeated in the third round by Ingalls, 5 and 3.