Wilson goes out with head high in US Women's Amateur semi-finals
Annabel Wilson hits her tee shot at the third hole during the semifinals at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022. (Darren Carroll/USGA)
Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson was looking at the positives despite falling 2&1 to Canada’s Monet Chun in the semi-finals of the US Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay.
Ranked 144th in the world, Wilson played just events for UCLA in 2022 and did not retain her place in the Curtis Cup team having failed to win a match in the 2021 edition.
But she has slowly regained confidence working with coach Peter Martin and while she was far from her best against Chun, she left Washington with her head high.
“I think on the front nine I just made a few wrong decisions, and that put me in kind of no-zone areas and couldn't make up-and-down for par,” said Wilson, who lost the first when she flared her second shot into the dunes and took two swings to extricate herself from a horrible lie.
“But other than that, I was happy. I was able to keep going right until the end.”
Though Wilson got it right back with a win on the second, Chun won the fifth with a birdie as Wilson made a double bogey six, then moved two up with a birdie two at the ninth.
Wilson birdied the 10th to get back to one down but made another bogey six at the 13th, where she three putted.
Chun opened the door but bunkering her tee shot at the par-three 15th, but Wilson followed her into the same bunker and after missing a birdie chance from 15 feet at the 16th, then match ended at the 17th where Wilson had an eight footer for birdie to get back to one down with one to play but missed it left.
“It's a great game,” Wilson said. “You’re always learning. You’re always battling, whether that's out on the course or even what you’re working on. So yeah, just keep going and keep staying with it.”
University of Michigan junior Chun stepped away from golf to rebuild her game after struggling with her swing and returned with renewed confidence to win the Big 10 individual championship, the Canadian Women's Amateur and now has earned a spot in the US Women’s Amateur final.
“I wasn't very steady swing-wise, so being here right now is actually a huge accomplishment for me,” said Chun. “I feel like this past year in school was probably the best I've played so far, so I'm pretty happy with where I am.”
She will face world number 45 Saki Baba of Japan in the final following her 7&6 win over Florida’s Bailey Shoemaker
Despite Shoemaker’s gutsy run to the semifinals and strong play to this point, Baba won five of the first seven holes and didn’t allow Shoemaker to get close.
An example of Baba’s killer instinct came on the par-four 10th hole. Already five-up, she poured in an 18-foot birdie putt to win the hole and go six-up.
When asked if she was feeling confident today, Baba didn’t blush. “During the round I was just thinking, I’m going to win, I’m going to win, the whole time.”
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Results from Saturday's semifinal matches at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, played at 6,466-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay
Monet Chun, Canada (149) def. Annabel Wilson, Republic of Ireland (146), 2 and 1
Saki Baba, Japan (147) def. Bailey Shoemaker, Dade City, Fla. (149), 7 and 6
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Pairing for Sunday's 36-hole final match at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, played at par-73 Chambers Bay
17:30 Irish time - Monet Chun, Canada (149) vs. Saki Baba, Japan (147)
