MANILA, Philippines - Cyna Rodriguez fought back with two clutch pars, including one that knocked out Kristen Simpson of Virginia on the 19th hole, as she advanced to the second round of the match play event US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Old Warson Golf and Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri Wednesday.
Rodriguez, ranked 45th after the 36-hole stroke play elims, blew a two-up lead after 10 holes, went one hole down with a bogey on the 17th but extended the match with a par on No. 18, which Simpson double-bogeyed.
Regaining her confidence, the 17-year-old member of the ICTSI golf team made a routine par on the par-4 No. 1 then watched the 20th ranked Simpson muff her par-putt bid from six feet to clinch the match in one of the day’s reversals.
Amelia Lewis of Florida, the last in the 64-player cast, produced the worthiest win by shocking top seed Danielle Kang of California, taking three straight holes from No. 15 en route to a 2&1 victory.
It was a big recovery from Rodriguez, who birdied the opening hole from seven feet to wrest control early. Simpson birdied No. 3 to draw level but the gutsy Filipina shotmaker came away with scrambling pars on Nos. 9 and 10 to go 2-up.