Annabel Wilson might have been dropped from the Curtis Cup team this year but she showed she remains a class act as she battled her way into the quarter-finals of the US Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay,

The Lurgan star (21) beat Julia Misemer 4&3 before beating Katie Li 3&2 to set up a quarter-final clash with California’s Catherine Rao (18) today.

She’s the first player from Ireland to reach the quarterfinals since Mary McKenna in 1980.

Wilson is certainly feeling confident as the Washington course has a real links quality that reminds her of home.

“It’s my first time here,” said UCLA star Wilson. “I watched the U.S. Open and I watched the highlights before I came. I'm from Ireland, and we have a lot of links play, and it's certainly very linksy.

“When I played the practice round, it kind of suited my eye, so it felt good.”

The USGA writes:

The only double-session day at the U.S. Women’s Amateur demands stamina, determination and poise in order to be one of the eight left standing at the end.

Wilson displayed all those qualities during a long Thursday at Chambers Bay to march into the quarterfinals riding a wave of confidence.

Wilson, 21 and a junior at UCLA, defeated Katie Li of Basking Ridge, N.J., 3 and 2, in the Round of 16 using a similar formula to the one she deployed in winning her Round of 32 match earlier today against Julia Misemer.

In both instances, Wilson birdied the par-5 first hole and sprinted to early leads that allowed to her to survive rough patches in the middle of the rounds and secure a pair of victories. 

“I like how I'm striking it. Then I'm rolling the putts in, so I'm confident in my game,” said Wilson. “We play a lot of match play with Golf Ireland, and I think what I've learned over the years is match play is all swinging momentum, and you can't let it get to you. You've just got to play your game.” 

A fellow 21-year-old quarterfinalist finding her comfort zone is Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, Colo., a 4-and-3 winner over 14-year-old Mia Hammond of New Albany, Ohio. Lehigh, a junior at the University of New Mexico, played Chambers Bay in a collegiate tournament in April and cited the experience as “huge” in helping her get to know the nuances of this firm, fast layout.

Lehigh and Hammond were tied through nine holes, but a couple miscues from the Ohio middle-schooler allowed Lehigh to win four out of the next five holes to clinch the win. Lehigh is making her second U.S. Women’s Amateur start after missing the cut for match play in 2019 at Old Waverly Country Club in West Point, Miss.

“I finally made it back here this year, and my only goal was to make match play,” said a delighted Lehigh. “To make it this far is pretty unbelievable.”

Wilson’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be 18-year-old Princeton freshman Catherine Rao of Camarillo, Calif., who dispatched Annabelle Pancake of Zionsville, Ind., 4 and 3, despite continuing to deal with a back injury that has required on-site physical therapy.

“It feels unreal to make the quarterfinals,” said Rao. “I feel like with my back and everything, I feel so lucky to have been able to play this week, much less make it this far. I'm super happy.”

The longest match of the day, and of the championship so far, was the 21-hole Round of 16 battle between Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, Calif., and Australian Kelsey Bennett. The 20-year-old Navarrosa and 22-year-old Bennett exchanged 11 lead changes, and neither player held more than a 1-up lead at any point.

Bennett sunk two clutch putts, one on the par-3 17th to extend the match and an 8-foot birdie putt on 18 to send the match to extra holes, and Navarrosa won the match on the par-3 third hole (21st of the match) with a par after Bennett hit her tee shot in the front greenside bunker and made bogey.

It was a major day for USC junior Navarrosa, who secured a big win over World No. 3 Rachel Heck in the morning before beating Bennett, who at No. 4 was the highest-seeded player remaining in the field.

“It hasn't sunk in yet,” said Navarrosa. “I play again tomorrow. I haven't made it this far, and I think my game is the best where it's been in a very long time, so I'm very happy with that.”

The remaining quarterfinalists are 21-year-old Monet Chun of Canada, a 4-and-3 winner over Julia Gregg of Farmers Branch, Texas; 17-year-old Saki Baba of Japan, who defeated Aneka Seumanutafa of Emmitsburg, Md.; 16-year-old Leigh Chien of Irvine, Calif., who was a surprise winner over World No. 13 Rachel Kuehn; and 17-year-old Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Fla., who defeated Amari Avery, 2 up.

Notable

• All quarterfinalists are exempt into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur, to be held Aug. 7-13 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.

• Wilson is the first player from Ireland to reach the quarterfinals since Mary McKenna in 1980, while Saki Baba is first quarterfinalist from Japan since Nasa Hataoka in 2016.

• Three of the quarterfinalists have not trailed through three matches: Wilson, Leigh Chien and Lauren Lehigh. 

Saki Baba, 17, of Japan

Instagram: @teba_.425

• No. 45 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her third USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Was one of four amateurs to make the cut in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

• Co-medalist and reached the Round of 32 in the 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior at The Club at Olde Stone

• Won the 2022 Kanto Women’s Amateur Championship and Kanto Junior Championship

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 73-74–147 in stroke play to earn the No. 34 seed

• R64: Def. Jennifer Cleary, 1 up

• R32: Def. Alice Ziyi Zhao, 3 and 1

• R16: Def. Aneka Seumanutafa, 3 and 1

 

Leigh Chien, 16, of Irvine, Calif.

Instagram: @leigh.chien

• No. 336 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her third USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Verbally committed to attend Stanford University in the fall of 2023

• Rising junior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School where she won the 2021 California State Individual High School Championship

• Has five American Junior Golf Association victories

• Was a Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist in 2016

• Her brother and caddie, Evan, competed in the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur at The Country Club of North Carolina

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 73-73–146 in stroke play to earn the No. 30 seed

• R64: Def. Aliea Clark, 19 holes

• R32: Def. Laney Frye, 2 and 1

• R16: Def. Rachel Kuehn, 1 up

 

Monet Chun, 21, of Canada

Instagram: @_monetchun

• No. 143 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her first USGA championship

• Rising junior at the University of Michigan

• Won the 108th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship on July 23 to earn a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the CP Women’s Open in August

• Led Michigan to its first Big Ten championship in April while earning medalist honors for the first time in her Wolverine career

• Member of the Canadian National Amateur Squad

• Never lost a hole in her Round-of-16 victory over Julia Gregg

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 76-73–149 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed

• R64: Def. Lauren Gomez, 1 up

• R32: Def. Amanda Sambach, 1 up

• R16: Def. Julia Gregg, 4 and 3

 

Lauren Lehigh, 21, of Loveland, Colo.

Instagram:@lauren_lehigh

• No. 520 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her second USGA championship and second U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Rising senior at the University of New Mexico

• Has not yet reached the 17th hole in any of her matches

• Three-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar

• Won the 2019 Colorado Junior PGA Championship

• Was named 2018 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC) Player of the Year

• Her sister Katelyn competed in the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior at Columbia Country Club 

• Outside of golf, enjoys fly fishing and rock climbing

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 77-70–147 in stroke play to earn the No. 39 seed

• R64: Def. Kayla Smith, 3 and 2

• R32: Def. Anna Fang, 6 and 5

• R16: Def. Mia Hammond, 4 and 3

 

Brianna Navarrosa, 20, of San Diego, Calif.

Instagram: @brianna.navarrosa

• No. 160 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her eighth USGA championship and second U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Rising junior at the University of Southern California

• Played more holes in match play than any other competitor (58)

• Won the 2019 Canadian Women's Amateur Championship and the 2018 California State Amateur

• Runner-up in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner Angelina Kim

• Three-time Rolex Junior All-American (2017-18-19)

• Her father, Ringo, played tennis at the University of Arizona and was the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open tennis champion

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 71-76–147 in stroke play to earn the No. 45 seed

• R64: Def. Jaclyn LaHa, 20 holes

• Rd32: Def. Rachel Heck, 2 and 1

• Rd16: Def. Kelsey Bennett, 21 holes

 

Catherine Rao, 18, of Camarillo, Calif.

Instagram: @Catherinerao

• No. 647 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her third USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Rising freshman at Princeton University

• Earned valedictorian honors at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif., for the class of 2022

• Member of the 2021 United States Junior Solheim Cup team

• Two-time Rolex Junior All-American (2020-21)

• Named Girls Golfer of the Year by the Ventura County Star last season

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 73-67–140 in stroke play to earn the No. 8 seed

• R64: Def. Izzy Pellot, 1 up

• R32: Def. Sara Im, 2 and 1

• R16: Def. Annabelle Pancake, 4 and 3

 

Bailey Shoemaker, 17, of Dade City, Fla.

Instagram: @baileytheshoemaker

• No. 82 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her seventh USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Amateur

• Verbally committed to attend the University of Southern California in the fall of 2023

• Was one of four amateurs to make the cut in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

• Runner-up in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with her partner Kaitlyn Schroeder

• Became the first junior golfer to win the Florida Women’s Amateur in the championship’s 93-year history in June

• Three-time New York State Girls’ Junior champion and has twice earned low-amateur honors in the Florida Women's Open

• Reached the quarterfinals in the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior 

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 77-72–149 in stroke play to earn the No. 54 seed

• R64: Def. Kaleiya Romero, 4 and 3

• R32: Def. Kynadie Adams, 1 up

• R16: Def. Amari Avery, 2 up

 

Annabel Wilson, 21, Ireland

Instagram: N/A

• No. 144 in World Amateur Golf Ranking® / WAGR®

• Competing in her first USGA championship

• Rising senior at UCLA

• Represented Great Britain & Ireland in the 2021 Curtis Cup Match in Wales

• Won the 2019 Irish Close Championship

• Represented Ireland in the 2018 and 2019 European Ladies' Team Championship and the 2018 Women’s World Amateur Team Championships

Road to the Quarterfinals

• Shot 73-73–146 in stroke play to earn the No. 33 seed

• R64: Def. Fiona Xu, 5 and 4

• R32: Def. Julia Misemer, 4 and 3

• R16: Def. Katie Li, 3 and 2

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Results from Thursday's Round-of-32 matches at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, played at 6,501-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay

Annabel Wilson, Ireland (146) def. Julia Misemer, Overland Park, Kan. (150), 4 and 3

Katie Li, Basking Ridge, N.J. (148) def. Han Hsuan Yu, Chinese Taipei (143), 7 and 5

Catherine Rao, Camarillo, Calif. (140) def. Sara Im, Duluth, Ga. (145), 2 and 1

Annabelle Pancake, Zionsville, Ind. (145) def. Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Australia (140), 4 and 3

Kelsey Bennett, Australia (139) def. Nika Ito, Japan (146), 5 and 4

Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego, Calif. (147) def. Rachel Heck, Memphis, Tenn. (148), 2 and 1

Julia Gregg, Farmers Branch, Texas (149) def. Taylor Ledwein, New Prague, Minn. (146), 2 and 1

Monet Chun, Canada (149) def. Amanda Sambach, Pinehurst, N.C. (147), 1 up

Saki Baba, Japan (147) def. Alice Ziyi Zhao, People's Republic of China (136), 3 and 1

Aneka Seumanutafa, Emmitsburg, Md. (148) def. Leigha Devine, Windsor, Colo. (144), 3 and 2

Lauren Lehigh, Loveland, Colo. (147) def. Anna Fang, San Diego, Calif. (149), 6 and 5

Mia Hammond, New Albany, Ohio (147) def. Savannah Grewal, Canada (149), 1 up

Leigh Chien, Irvine, Calif. (146) def. Laney Frye, Nicholasville, Ky. (136), 2 and 1

Rachel Kuehn, Asheville, N.C. (142) def. Brooke Seay, San Diego, Calif. (144), 2 up

Amari Avery, Riverside, Calif. (139) def. Megan Yang, San Jose, Calif. (147), 6 and 5

Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Fla. (149) def. Kynadie Adams, Nashville, Tenn. (145), 1 up

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Results from Thursday's Round-of-16 matches at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, played at 6,527-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay

Annabel Wilson, Ireland (146) def. Katie Li, Basking Ridge, N.J. (148), 3 and 2

Catherine Rao, Camarillo, Calif. (140) def. Annabelle Pancake, Zionsville, Ind. (145), 4 and 3

Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego, Calif. (147) def. Kelsey Bennett, Australia (139), 21 holes

Monet Chun, Canada (149) def. Julia Gregg, Farmers Branch, Texas (149), 4 and 3

Saki Baba, Japan (147) def. Aneka Seumanutafa, Emmitsburg, Md. (148), 3 and 1

Lauren Lehigh, Loveland, Colo. (147) def. Mia Hammond, New Albany, Ohio (147), 4 and 3

Leigh Chien, Irvine, Calif. (146) def. Rachel Kuehn, Asheville, N.C. (142), 1 up

Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Fla. (149) def. Amari Avery, Riverside, Calif. (139), 2 up

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Pairings for Friday's quarterfinal matches at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, played at par-73 Chambers Bay

2:30 p.m. - Annabel Wilson, Ireland (146) vs. Catherine Rao, Camarillo, Calif. (140)

2:40 p.m. - Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego, Calif. (147) vs. Monet Chun, Canada (149)

2:50 p.m. - Saki Baba, Japan (147) vs. Lauren Lehigh, Loveland, Colo. (147)

3 p.m. - Leigh Chien, Irvine, Calif. (146) vs. Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Fla. (149)