Amy Anderson wins in the first round of the US Women's Amateur
In a surprising upset, Amy Anderson from North Dakota won her match against the Thai player Moriya Jutanugarn. The final result was a 1 up win for the 20-year-old American player.
While Anderson is happy with the results, this win has been one of the several predictions that have gone wrong. When the qualifying stage ended, Moriya Jutanugarn was placed in the 31st place.
In contrast Anderson was in the 34th. This gap clearly showed the difference between the two players’ level of play.
The match started on a tense note that lasted till the very end. Anderson gave Jutanugarn a tough time. Both the players won and lost advantages but the final advantage went to Anderson, who beat the more experienced player.
During the entire match, Anderson and Jutanugarn led and trailed behind each other. Before the match, Anderson was a bit intimidated by Jutanugarn, who is a well known match player specialist.
Jutanugarn has been the finalist in the 2011 US Amateur Championship and is considered to be a tough foe on the golf course. Anderson said, “Mentally, I was prepared to lose to her. It was a huge relief”.
The match turned really exciting towards the end, when Moriya Jutanugarn suddenly moved ahead of Anderson. She scored an eagle on the hole and moved her lead up a stroke. Anderson tried to follow suit but missed the final putt. This miss finalized Jutanugarn’s
lead.
The next hole was where it all ended in Anderson’s favour. Moriya Jutanugarn hit her tee shot into a bunker. Her great golf skills came to her rescue and she managed to finish the hole on par.
Anderson’s luck held up on the 18th hole. While her opponent just managed to clear the hole on par, she scored a birdie that gave her the final 1 up lead.
She was very relived at the end. Talking about the game, she said, “Coming in, I honestly felt like the underdog. I knew I would have to play my best. She’s a great, great player”.
Anderson’s troubles are not over yet. She will now face her toughest opponent. The next match will be against Lydia Ko, the world’s number one amateur.
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