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Carta Reaches U.S. Amateur Championship
8/6/2016 1:40:00 PM | Women's Golf
SPRINGFIELD, Pa.— Another back nine comeback lifted Duke University sophomore Virginia Elena Carta to a 2&1 victory over Yuka Saso Saturday morning in the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur that is being played at the Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa.
For the second straight match, Carta fell behind early as she suffered a bogey on the first hole to give Saso a 1-up lead. Carta came back to roll in her first birdie of the day on the 159-yard, par three third hole to get the match back to all square.
After three straight pars for both golfers, Saso went ahead once again, 1-up, with a birdie on the par five seventh hole. Carta, who hails from Udine, Italy, came back to win holes nine and 10 to go ahead, 1-up, as Saso posted two straight bogeys.
A bogey by Carta on 12 dropped the match back to all square. Carta made two great par saves on No. 13 and No. 14, which was good enough to take a 1-up lead on No. 14 as Saso suffered another bogey.
After back-to-back pars on the 15th and 16th for both golfers, Carta rolled in a birdie putt on the 473-yard, par five 17th to clinch the victory by a 2&1 ledger.
Carta will face Eun Jeong Seong of Republic of Korea Sunday in the championship, who took down Mathilda Cappeliez, 2&1, Saturday. To follow Sunday's 36-hole championship, head to usga.org to follow live streaming from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and then Fox Sports Net 1 will air live from 1-4 p.m. Action will get started at 7:30 a.m.
The Duke All-America is looking to become the third Blue Devil to win the U.S. Women's Amateur title as Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2003 at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., while Amanda Blumenherst won in 2008 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.
Carta is also looking to become just the second golfer to win both the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Women's Amateur in the same year. In 1992, Georgia's Vicki Goetz became the first, and only, woman to hold both crowns simultaneously. With a win Sunday, Carta would be only the second Italian woman to capture the U.S. Amateur along with Silvia Cavalieri in 1997.
#GoDuke
For the second straight match, Carta fell behind early as she suffered a bogey on the first hole to give Saso a 1-up lead. Carta came back to roll in her first birdie of the day on the 159-yard, par three third hole to get the match back to all square.
After three straight pars for both golfers, Saso went ahead once again, 1-up, with a birdie on the par five seventh hole. Carta, who hails from Udine, Italy, came back to win holes nine and 10 to go ahead, 1-up, as Saso posted two straight bogeys.
A bogey by Carta on 12 dropped the match back to all square. Carta made two great par saves on No. 13 and No. 14, which was good enough to take a 1-up lead on No. 14 as Saso suffered another bogey.
After back-to-back pars on the 15th and 16th for both golfers, Carta rolled in a birdie putt on the 473-yard, par five 17th to clinch the victory by a 2&1 ledger.
Carta will face Eun Jeong Seong of Republic of Korea Sunday in the championship, who took down Mathilda Cappeliez, 2&1, Saturday. To follow Sunday's 36-hole championship, head to usga.org to follow live streaming from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and then Fox Sports Net 1 will air live from 1-4 p.m. Action will get started at 7:30 a.m.
The Duke All-America is looking to become the third Blue Devil to win the U.S. Women's Amateur title as Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2003 at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., while Amanda Blumenherst won in 2008 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.
Carta is also looking to become just the second golfer to win both the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Women's Amateur in the same year. In 1992, Georgia's Vicki Goetz became the first, and only, woman to hold both crowns simultaneously. With a win Sunday, Carta would be only the second Italian woman to capture the U.S. Amateur along with Silvia Cavalieri in 1997.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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