ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michelle Wie putted for birdie on the 10th hole during her semifinal match against Aimee Cho yesterday. Wie can become the youngest to win the title if she wins today.
Wie 1 win away
from titleThe 13-year-old is the second
from Hawaii to make it this far
PALM COAST, Fla. >> Michelle Wie moved one round closer to becoming the youngest golfer to win the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship yesterday.
Wie cruised through her quarterfinal and semifinal matches to earn a spot in today's 36-hole final. She faces Thailand's Virada Nirapathpongporn, who advanced by defeating Beth Allen of San Diego 5 and 4 in the semifinals.
If Wie wins today, she will break Catherine Cartwright's record as the youngest Public Links champion. Cartwright was 17 when she won the championship in 2000.
She is only the second player from Hawaii to make it into the final match. Lori Castillo won the championship back to back in 1979 and 1980.
Wie took five of the first six holes against Aimee Cho, of Orlando, and held on for a 5 and 4 win in the semifinals.
Wie eagled the 481-yard second hole when she chipped in from 25 feet before scoring a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole.
Wie consistently outdrove Cho even though she only used her driver on the four par-five holes. "My dad and I decided it was better to use my fairway wood and keep the ball in play," Wie told uswapl.org.
Wie's play threw Cho off her game, causing her to take chances to cut the margin.
"I really didn't get to putt much because she was stiffing it, making birdies and holing out chips," Cho told the Web site. "It's possible to come back, but it's tough when she's stiffing it to three feet and you're just trying to keep it in play."
Earlier in the day, Wie needed just three hours to eliminate defending U.S. Amateur champion Becky Lucidi 6 and 5 in the quarterfinals. Wie took three of the first six holes and captured the match when Lucidi missed a 6-foot par putt on the No. 13 hole.
Wie has never won a tournament outside of Hawaii and is in her first final in a national championship.
"I'm just going to enjoy it because I advanced further this year," said Wie. "Even if I get one hole down, I'm not going to give up because I came back from two holes down against Hwanhee Lee on Friday and that me a lot of confidence."
