Elizabeth Wang didn’t take a lead in her round-of-64 match at the U.S. Girls’ Junior until it mattered, then she made it stick.
In a match played over the course of two days due to earlier fog delays, the former Parker resident grabbed the lead for the first time after the 14th hole at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. Then the current San Marino, Calif., resident went on to record a 2 and 1 victory Thursday morning over Madelyn Gamble of Pleasant Hill, Calif.
That gives the Harvard-bound Wang (left in a USGA photo) a spot in the round of 32 in her final U.S. Girls’ Junior.
Wang, who finished 34th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and is currently No. 107 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, was 2 down on three occasions, including after 10 holes. But she won 11, 13 and 14 with birdies to take the lead — and for good. She closed out the match Thursday morning with a another hole-winning birdie on the par-3 17th.
The 2015 Girls Junior PGA Champion finished the day with five birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey.
Both the round of 32 and the round of 16 are scheduled for later Thursday.
Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties who competed — or are still competing — at Poppy Hills:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang def. Madelyn Gamble of Plesant Hill, Calif., 2 and 1
STROKE PLAY
23. Former Colorado resident Elizabeth Wang 75-70–145
ҬFailed to Advance to Match Play
147. Meghan Vogt, Broomfield 88-80–168
151. Morgan Ryan, Centennial 84-88–172
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
