Jisoo Park, Song, Kim, Coe Advance To WAPL Semifinals

Devens, Mass. – Jisoo Park, 14, of Korea, Jennifer Song, 19, of La Cañada, Calif., Kimberly Kim, 17, of Hilo, Hawaii, and Joanna Coe, 19, of Mays Landing, N.Y., each won quarterfinal matches Friday morning at the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship being conducted at the 6,267-yard, par-72 Red Tail Golf Club.

The semifinal matches were scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Park eased past Cydney Clanton of Concord, N.C., 1 up. Park and Clanton were all square coming into the 517-yard, par-5 18th hole. Clanton went for the green on her second shot, but her ball faded into a green-side water hazard. After a one-stroke penalty, Clanton’s fourth shot was on the green, some 25 feet from the hole.

Jisoo Park's first lead didn't happen until the final hole of her WAPL quarterfinal match on Friday. (John Mummert/USGA)

Park played conservatively and was hole-high in the fringe with her third shot, some 22 feet from the hole. Clanton raced her par putt some 8 feet past the hole. Park chipped 6 feet past the flagstick on her fourth shot.

Clanton missed her 8-footer for bogey, then conceded Park’s par putt and the match.

Song lost the first two holes of her match with Casie Cathrea, at 13 the youngest remaining contestant. Song then went on a streak, winning the next five holes, and was 3 up after the seventh. A birdie at the par-4 14th hole gave Song a 4-up lead. When the players halved the 15th with pars, Song won, 4 and 3.

Kim started slowly in her match with 17-year-old Sun Gyoung Park, who was 1 up after the third hole. Kim then began to play some brilliant shots, making five birdies in the next 10 holes to win, 6 and 5.

The fourth match came down to the 18th hole. In Thursday’s third round, Coe had been on the green after two very well-hit shots with her driver. In her match with Sydnee Michaels, she again went for the green but her second shot landed in a greenside bunker.

Michaels third shot flew the green left into heavy fringe. Coe blasted well past the hole and faced a 25-foot putt for birdie. Michaels fluffed her chip, leaving it in the fringe and Coe lagged her birdie putt to within a foot of the hole. Michaels needed to hole her next chip for a par to force extra holes, but she again fluffed the chip shot and Coe won the hole and the match with a conceded par.

Story written by Rhonda Glenn, manager of communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.