Lilia Vu dispatches Punahou alum, friend Allisen Corpuz in LPGA match-play event
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Allisen Corpuz tees off at the fourth tee during the final round of the LPGA’s Palos Verdes Championship on May 1 in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
LAS VEGAS >> UCLA beat USC in the round of 16 Saturday as Lilia Vu defeated college rival and Punahou alumna Allisen Corpuz in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play event.
Vu needed extra holes later in the day to defeat South Korea’s Jenny Shin in 20 holes to advance to today’s semifinals against Japan’s Ayaka Furue. Furue beat South Africa’s Paula Reto 2 and 1 in the round of 16 and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff in 22 holes in the quarterfinal.
In the other semifinal, Andrea Lee of the U.S. meets South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji.
In her victory over LPGA Tour rookie Corpuz, Vu went 1 up with a birdie on the fourth and 2 up with another birdie on the sixth. Vu went 4 up with pars on the 11th and 12th holes and finished the match with a par on the 15th.
“I think when we teed off it was 79 degrees. Not quite my California weather, but it was better than the past couple days,” said Vu of the milder Saturday conditions. “I didn’t feel entirely rested this morning, so I was just trying to focus on one thing at a time, not get ahead of myself.
“(Allisen and I) are pretty good friends,” Vu said on lpga.com. “We played in LA a couple of weeks ago, so it was nice to play with her again and catch up. I think it was definitely friendlier than the other matches I had this week.”
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
In other quarterfinals, Ji made quick work of Madelene Sagstrom, playing only 12 holes in a 7-and-6 victory while Andrea Lee of the U.S. beat Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh in 20 holes to advance to today’s semifinals.
“My putting works really well today,” said Ji, the 36-year-old who won the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open. “Just pretty confident out there.”
Lee rallied to beat Dryburgh.
“It was just a real grind out there,” Lee said. “It’s tough out here in the afternoon. It was getting windy and the greens were firmer than this morning. Just had to stay really patient.”
Furue edged Shadoff with a 30-foot par putt on the 22nd hole. Furue is the highest remaining seed at No. 10. Ji was seeded 36th, Lee 48th and Vu 51st.
Vu outlasted Las Vegas resident Shin to advance to the semifinal round.
“Felt like I was fighting tooth and nail all afternoon,” said Vu, the only one of the semifinalists to win all five of her matches. “So happy to come out with the win.”
Ji beat fellow South Korean player Hye-Jin Choi 2 and 1 in the morning in the round of 16.
The championship and third-place matches at Shadow Creek will be held in the afternoon following the morning semifinal rounds.
