Smith Advances to Round of 32 at U.S. Amateur

Nebraska’s Kate Smith advanced to the round of 32 at the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship with a victory in her first round of Match Play on Thursday at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md.

Smith, a Husker senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., struggled early in her opening-round match with Louise Yu (Duluth, Ga.) but turned the tide in a big way down the stretch to claim victory (2 and 1). Smith, who earned the No. 15 seed with her one-over-par 145 through 36 holes of stroke play, won the first hole with a birdie on the par 4, but Yu quickly seized control in the match by winning the next three holes to go 2 up through four.

Yu, a senior-to-be at Vanderbilt and the 50th seed in the match play round, pushed her lead to 3 up after six holes, before Smith began to settle into her game. Smith won the seventh hole with a birdie on the par 5, matched Yu with a par on No. 8, then notched another birdie on the par 5 No. 9 to cut Yu’s lead to 1 up heading to the back nine.

The golfers matched each other shot for shot on the next four holes, before Smith tied it up with a birdie on the par 4 No. 14. Another birdie on the par 5, 522-yard 15th hole put Smith at 1 up, giving her the lead for the first time since the opening hole of the round. Both women recorded pars on No. 16, before Smith secured the match with a birdie on No. 17 to put her 2 up with one hole remaining.

Smith will advance to take on No. 47 seed Tyler Akabane (Danville, Calif.) in the round of 32. Akabane, a sophomore-to-be at UCLA, defeated Pac-12 Conference-rival Raquel Olmos Ros on the 20th hole of match play. Olmos will be a senior at Arizona State this fall.

Television coverage of the Round of 32 matches will air on the Golf Channel beginning at noon central time on Friday. Match play will continue through the championship on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Golf Channel Coverage of the U.S. Women’s Amateur

Friday, Aug. 7 – Noon-3 p.m. (CT) – Match Play

Saturday, Aug. 8 – 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (CT) – Match Play

Sunday, Aug. 9 – Noon – 3 p.m. (CT) – Championship Match