PINEHURST, N.C. ā Facing a deficit heading into the final stretch of Thursday's round of 32 match at the Pinehurst North & South Women's Amateur, Duke University rising senior
Gina Kim won the final four holes of the match to knock off top-seeded Abbey Daniel, 2UP, to move on to the round of 16 on Course No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C.
Kim, a product of Chapel Hill, N.C., fell behind early with a bogey on No. 2, but was able to turn the match around with a par on the par-3 sixth hole to tie the match.Ā After her first birdie of the day on the 148-yard, par-3 ninth hole, Kim took her first lead of the day, 1UP. Ā
Daniel regained control of the match on the back nine by winning holes No. 10, No. 12 and No. 13 to go ahead 2UP. Ā
Duke's three-time All-America did not back down as she parred No. 15 to win the hole and cut the deficit to one hole.Ā Kim came up big on the 478-yard, par-5 16th hole as she sank a huge eagle to swing the momentum in her favor and tie the match with two holes remaining. Ā
Kim closed with back-to-back pars, while Daniel bogied both holes to give Kim the 2UP victory. Ā
It marked the second straight year that Kim has advanced to the round of 16 at the North & South Women's Amateur.
Kim will move on to face No. 17 seeded Addison Baggarly on Friday, July 16 at 7 a.m. Ā
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