Pair of Former NJSGA Champions Headline Semifinals of 97th Women’s Amateur Championship
Pictured: Katie Lu, Forsgate Country Club
GLEN RIDGE, N.J. – The semifinals of the 97th New Jersey Women’s Amateur Championship are set at Glen Ridge Country Club and two former New Jersey State Golf Association champions in Katie Lu and Sydney Kuo headline the final four contenders.
In 2021, Kuo won the Women’s Public Championship at Mountain View Golf Course. In 2020, Lu won the Junior Girls’ Championship at Morris County Golf Club.
Wednesday consisted of the Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches. Top-seed Lu picked up right where she left off, winning her quarterfinal match against Ava Lozito, 5&3.
In the afternoon, Lu, an incoming sophomore at Michigan State University and Emma Shen went neck and neck. It was a back-and-forth battle that spanned all 18 holes. Lu led for most of the match, but Shen did not back down, tying the match three times after falling behind.
“I was prepared for a playoff because in match play you have to expect everyone makes the shots,” Lu explained.
Lu led 1-up heading into No. 18 and proceeded to halve the hole to punch her ticket into the semifinals. She will take on Angela Lee in the semifinals at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday.
“I felt the pressure on the 18th hole,” Lu reflected following her quarterfinal match. “Emma is such a great player, and she can easily birdie this (No. 18) hole."
Kuo, 19, closed out her quarterfinal match against Angelina Kim in 12 holes. She won six of her first nine holes, taking a 6-up lead into the turn. Kim picked up a win on No. 11 but Kuo wrapped up her match on the 484-yard par 5.
“I stuck to my game,” Kuo commented. “I was feeling pretty confident all morning with my swing being consistent. I also had a good feel for the speed of the greens, so I carried that confidence with me into my second match. It was just a matter of staying patient, consistent and eventually that’s just what pulled through.”
Kuo will face the No. 15 seed, Janelle Valera, who took down the No. 2 seed, Anna Bowman, 2&1 in the Round of 16. Valera, 18 then defeated Nicole Ewing, an incoming senior at Rutgers University in her quarterfinal match, 2-up.
The 1st and 10th hole of the final match will be live streamed on Facebook at NJSGA1900.
Quarterfinal Results
Katie Lu, Forsgate Country Club d. Emma Shen, Edgewood Country Club, 1-up
Angela Lee, NJSGA E-Club d. Tiya Chowdary, Neshanic Valley Golf Course, 3&2
Jenelle Valera, Royce Brook Golf Club d. Nicole Ewing, Rutgers Golf Club, 2-up
Sydney Kuo, NJSGA E-Club d. Angelina Kim, Edgewood Country Club, 7&6
Round of 16 Results
Katie Lu, Forsgate Country Club d. Ava Lozito, NJSGA E-Club, 5&3
Emma Shen, Edgewood Country Club d. Sammie Dolce, Basking Ridge Country Club, 5&3
Tiya Chowdary, Neshanic Valley Golf Course d. Skylar Lee, 5&4
Angela Lee, NJSGA E-Club d. Rayee Feng, NJSGA E-Club, 5&4
Jenelle Valera, Royce Brook Golf Club d. Anna Bowman, Suburban Golf Club, 2&1
Nicole Ewing, Rutgers Golf Club d. Amanda Hart, NJSGA E-Club, 5&4
Sydney Kuo, NJSGA E-Club d. Noelle Maertz, The Ridgewood Country Club, 2&1
Angelina Kim, Edgewood Country Club d. Samantha Perrotta, Centerton Golf Club, 2&1
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