BANDUN, Ore. — Kansas Junior Lailaluder Bow lost two up leads on two holes on Friday to face top-ranked Chiararoo Mero and reached the US Women’s Amateur semi-finals by staying calm to win 20 holes at BANDUN Dunes.
Two-time Kansas Women’s Amateur Champion Louderbaugh went on to play Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau against 3 and 2 winner Brooke Biermann.
Stanford senior mega Ganne postponed Thailand’s Eila Garitsky (2 and 1) and then played the semi-final match against Australia’s Ella Saysbrook.
Louderbaugh seized control over Chiaralo Mero, number one amateur in women’s golf, and shot 3 feet on par 3 No. 12, earning tap-in range from a clever pitch on par 5 13th. She was 2 when Romero missed a 30-inch par putt on the 16th.
And it all unraveled that it was strong winds from the Pacific coast, with gusts in the 30 mph range. Louderbaugh sent her approach from above the greenery into the bushes on the 17th, and Romero hit her shot three feet.
On the par 5th, on the 18th, Romero hit the driver in the wind from the fairway for about 50 yards from the green, Louderbow hit a 7-iron from the light rough, and the left-to-right wind again sent a shot into the bushes, giving Romero a hole.
“I went to the bathroom and said, ‘Turn the last two holes you’ve been doing well. You don’t need two mistakes to affect you,'” Louderbaugh said. “I told the caddy to think for herself and go through the shot in my head. It helped me think straight.”
In the first extra hole, No. 10, Louderbaugh’s 7-foot birdie putt hit the back of the cup and spun it. On hole 20, it was Romero who blinked. Her shot was on the right, and the best thing she could do from there was a pitch of about 10 feet between the flags.
Romero missed her 10-foot par putt, and Louderbow won by two putts from 20 feet.
“I was sure I could come out today and beat her,” said Ruderbo, No. 249 in the amateur rankings for women.
Ganne scored a 2 up lead early, taking the lead on one hole and led twice to stay on the lead before Galitsky made one mistake.
Beerman entered the wind at No. 11, 3 feet from the metal on the fairway until he got three straight holes.
