UNIVERSITY PLACE (Wash.) — Saki Baba defeated Monet Chun from Canada 11 and 9 Sunday to become the second Japanese winner of U.S. Women’s Amateur history.
The match was won by the 17-year-old Baba, who won the last six holes. He also made birdie on Chambers Bays par-3 27th hole.
Baba, speaking through a translator, said Its amazing. Its unbelievable. I was able. [play]My kind of golf. Everything went very smoothly.
As the only Japanese winner, Baba was joined by Michiko Hattori, 1985 champion.
Beau Brushert, Baba’s Chambers Bay caddie, said that if she made a mistake or lost a hole, it woken her up and she bounced back. She didnt let it get her down. Shes amazing. Shes great to watch.
Baba was one the four amateurs that made the cut at the U.S. Womens Open, Pine Needles. She tied for 49th. She was awarded medalist honors and reached round 32 in the U.S. Girls Junior at The Club of Olde Stone
The margin was equal to the third-largest in a 36 hole final in the event. Anne Quast Sander broke the record in 1961 by beating Phyllis Preuss 14. Glenna Collett defeated Virginia Van Wie 13/12 in 1928, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias beat Clara C. Sherman 11/12 in 1946.
Chun said, Honestly, it was hard to match it up. She was going after every pin, making every putt and thats hard for me to match up.
Chun, 21, won the Canadian Womens Amateur July 23 to earn a place in the event as well as the CP Womens Open. She won medalist honors and led Michigan to its April Big Ten championship.
Baba played 106 matchplay holes, tied for second place by a champion from 1973, matching Morgan Pressel ((2005)) and behind Carolyn Hill (103) (1979).