Jaclyn Lee wasn’t in ideal position for her approach shot on the 20th hole of her Round-of-16 match against Elizabeth Wang late Thursday afternoon at The Golf Club of Tennessee. Her tee shot was in the fairway, but far enough left to be impeded by a stand of trees; Wang was 30 yards ahead with a good angle to the flagstick on the 408-yard par 4 after having stiffed a 6-iron on the 18th hole to set up a match-extending birdie.

When Lee’s 5-iron from 168 yards knocked some leaves off one of the trees she was attempting to navigate around, the sound – and the sight of a small branch falling to the ground – made it appear the 21-year-old Canadian would have to scramble to stay alive in the 118th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Lee’s ball continued on its flight, though, finishing 15 feet behind the hole. “I had to stay below the limbs and hook it around the trees,” Lee said. “I was trying to make the most out of it. I’m glad that it really didn’t affect the line too much.”

A few minutes later, Lee made the most of her luck, sinking the downhill birdie putt, forcing Wang to convert her 10-footer to continue the match. The 18-year-old headed to Harvard University this fall missed, allowing Lee, a senior at Ohio State University, to advance to Friday’s Quarterfinals against University of Arkansas senior Kaylee Benton.

That Lee capitalized on the good break was no surprise. After all, she was the last player to get into the 156-player field after earning first-alternate status in a July 18 sectional qualifier in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she shot 71 to trail four players by two strokes, including Benton.

“I was really happy to get in,” said Lee, who got an early-morning call on July 31 from the USGA at home in Calgary, Alberta, as she was preparing to leave for a hike in the mountains. “I do feel like I belong in this event. It’s tough to qualify for this, and I’m very grateful I got in last minute.”

The spot became available when the European Ladies Amateur champion denied the exemption the USGA was holding. The USGA then went to its allotment list, and Lee’s site was next.

Before dispatching Wang in their taut match, Lee showed off her skills earlier on Thursday by making eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch en route to a 5-and-4 victory over UCLA All-American Patty Tavatanakit, the low amateur in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open (T-5).

“I’m really excited for her,” said Therese Hession, her coach at Ohio State and caddie this week. “She dodged a few bullets today. Elizabeth has a fantastic future and threw so many good shots at her. Patty is an amazing player. But Jaclyn kept plugging along and kept taking full responsibility for what was in front of her and kept her composure.”