Matsubara advances in US Women's Amateur

Matsubara advances in US Women's Amateur
August 7, 2013AP - Sports








CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Qualifying medalist Yumi Matsubara won her opening match Wednesday in the U.S. Women's Amateur, beating Italy's Bianca Maria Fabrizio 2 and 1.

Matsubara, the 14-year-old Japanese player making her first appearance in the event, had a tournament-record 7-under 64 on Tuesday at the Country Club of Charleston in the final round of stroke-play qualifying.

''I'm glad to win this match,'' Matsubara said through June Nagashima, an official with the Japan Golf Association. ''I did well, score-wise, so that's the point for me. ... I just try to play just like stroke play, so I don't have a special strategy for match play. I just focus on the scores.''

In the second round Thursday, Matsubara will face 17-year-old Lauren Diaz-Yi of Thousand Oaks, Calif. Diaz-Yi, the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links winner last month, beat Desiree Dubreuil of Santa Ana, Calif., 4 and 3.

''I wasn't striking the ball as well as yesterday,'' said Diaz-Yi, set to play for the University of Virginia. ''My putting saved me a lot. Once I got the putts going, I was able to make the critical putts.''


NCAA champion Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y., also advanced along with four-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi of Oakland Park, Fla.; and 2012 U.S. Girls' Junior champion Minjee Lee of Australia.

The 34-year-old Stasi reached the second round for the first time in nine tries, beating Austria's Carolin Pinegger 2 and 1.

''It was a great match,'' Stasi said. ''Just made a few birdies and it was really just a fun match. She played great and I just snuck it out.''

The 17-year-old Park, coming off her freshman season at Southern California, beat Lauren Stephenson of Lexington, S.C., 4 and 3. Lee routed Elizabeth Nagel of Dewitt, Mich., 6 and 4.

Lydia Ko, the winner last year at The Country Club in Cleveland, is skipping the tournament.