Women's Amateur Blog

You couldn't ask for better semifinal U.S. Women's Amateur matchups than what we have today at Rhode Island Country Club.

The 10 a.m. match features defending champion Danielle Kang of Westlake Village, Calif., and 21-year-old Brooke Pancake of Chattanooga, Tenn. The 18-year-old Kang is looking to leave amateur golf with a bang. Playing her final amateur event before turning pro, Kang is looking to be the first repeat Women's Amateur champion since Kelli Kuehne in 1996. And there's good karma as well. When the Women's Amateur was last played at Rhode Island C.C. in 1987, Kay Cockerill successfully defended her title before turning pro that fall.

Hopefully Kang is 100 percent healthy for the match. She told the USGA's Rhonda Glenn on Friday that she injured a rib during her quarterfinal victory over Demi Frances Runas.

Meanwhile, Pancake has continued what has been a fabulous last 12 months in golf. The senior-to-be at the University of Alabama claimed her first collegiate title -- the Tar Heel Invitational, last fall -- and was named a first-team All-America by the Natoinal Golf Coaches Association. She could go down as one of the greatest female golfers to ever play for the Crimson Tide.

The second semifinal pits reigning NCAA Division I individual champion Austin Ernst, 19, of Seneca, S.C., against 17-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who earned low-amateur honors at last month's U.S. Women's Open. Jutanugarn is looking to make it two straight USGA titles for the family. Her 15-year-old sister, Ariya, won the U.S. Girls' Junior two weeks ago at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Ariya was eliminated by Duke University All-American Lindy Duncan in the round of 32 and is now serving as Moriya's caddie.

Jutanugarn also is the highest remaining seed. She was the No. 3 qualifier out of stroke play, shooting 5-under 137. Ernst came in to match play as the 10th seed. She shot even-par 142 in qualifying.

Pancake was the No. 32 seed with a qualifying score of 2-over 144, while Kang was seeded 29th. She also shot 144.

As for the weather, we have another beautiful day in Barrington. We are expecting a storm late Sunday afternoon, but the heavy rains are not expected until the championship match is completed.

Can the weather get any better? For a second consecutive day, Rhode Island has blessed with sunny skies, a cool breeze and comfortable temperatures minus the humidty we had to start the week. It's ideal golf conditions for the quarterfinals of the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur.

And all four matches should be outstanding. The 12:45 p.m. match features University of Alabama All-American Brooke Pancake -- the player with the best last name -- against incoming UCLA freshman Erynne Lee, who was a semifinalist in this event three years ago and a quarterfinalist last year. At this year's U.S. Women's Open, she led the field in driving distance over the first two rounds.

Next up at 12:55 p.m., defending champion Danielle Kang of Westlake Village, Calif., meets Demi  Frances Runas, a 19-year-old from Torrance, Calif., who plays at the University of California-Davis. Runas attended the same high school as 2006 U.S. Girls' Junior champion Jenny Shin. Good karma could also be with Kang. The last time the Women's Amateur came to Rhode Island C.C. in 1987, the defending champion, Kay Cockerill, took home the title, just months before she turned pro. Kang also is turning pro after this event.

By the way, our prayers go out to Cockerill, whose father passed away yesterday in California. Cockerill flew home this morning. Steve Burkowski will take over Cockerill's duties on the broadcast.

The 1:05 p.m. match features reigning NCAA Division I champion Austin Ernst of Seneca, S.C., and LSU against Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, a member of the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team and a UCLA All-American. Interesting enough, it was Kono's Bruins who won the 2011 NCAA team title in College Station, Texas, at the same time Ernst took the individual title, the first for the Tiger women's golf program.

The final quarterfinal will pit 16-year-old Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wis., the true surprise of the championship, against 17-year-old Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand. This has kind of a Hoosiers theme to it. Danielson comes from a town of 2,500 in northwestern Wisconsin, while Jutanugarn is one of the best juniors in the world, having already claimed low-amateur honors at last month's U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor. Her 15-year-old sister, Ariya, won last month's U.S. Girls' Junior at Olympia Fiels (Ill.) Country Club and last week claimed the PGA Junior Championship at Sycamore Hills G.C. in Fort Wayne, Ind., by 10 strokes. Moriya withdrew from the Girls' Junior due to an injury and instead caddied for her sister. Ariya is now serving as Moriya's caddie after being eliminated in the second round on Thursday by Lindy Duncan.

You can follow the matches on USGA.org and Golf Channel will televise the action live at 3 p.m.

Enjoy the golf. -- David Shefter