BARRINGTON, R.I. – LSU’s Austin Ernst advanced through two more rounds of match play on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the United States Women’s Amateur at the Rhode Island Country Club.
Ernst, on the one day when two match wins are necessary to play another day, took down Michelle Piyapattra of Columbia University in the round of 32, 1 UP, and then used a dominating stretch midway through the front nine to down Lee Lopez of UCLA, 3 & 2, in the round of 16.
That now puts her up against another UCLA golfer in the round of eight on Friday, Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, who was a 3 & 2 winner against teammate Tiffany Lua in the round of 16.
That match is scheduled to tee off at 12:05 p.m. CT with the Golf Channel to pick up coverage of the quarterfinals round at 2 p.m. CT.
In the match against Lopez, a par on the opening hole against a bogey by Lopez gave Ernst a lead she would never relinquish and after three mid-front nine birdies, the lead was four-up after six holes. The first-team Pac 10 player was able to cut the lead in half to 2 UP against the NCAA D1 Women’s Champion by the turn but a long birdie on 13 pretty much assured Ernst of going to the next round.
“I was pretty solid all day,” said Ernst of the Lopez match. “I had a bad stretch from the seventh through nine. I hit one out of bounds on seven, but I was four up at the time after birdies on four, five and six. Then I was kind of able to get my momentum back going down the stretch.”
For the second straight round, Ernst had to go the distance in the opening match on Thursday against Piyapattra. The All-Ivy League sophomore took a 1 UP lead in the match after Ernst birdied the opening hole, but the Seneca, S.C., came right back and got the match all square for the last time on the sixth hole with a par and then went up for good with a par on seven and a birdie on the eighth hole.
Ernst, who with caddy Emily Tubert of the University of Arkansas has been dubbed “Team SEC” by media covering the event, finished the opening match of the day with 11 pars and the birdie on eight in the final 12 holes as she posted an even par 71 on her ball. In the afternoon match at the point it was stopped she was also even par on her card.
Her opponent in the quarterfinals, Kono, is preparing for her senior season at UCLA after participating this summer in the US Women’s Open and making the quarterfinals in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. She was a first-team All-American selection for the national champion Bruin team. She tied for first at the NCAA Central Regional with Ernst’s LSU teammate Megan McChrystal.
“We’ve played a lot of college golf together and she’s a very good player,” said Ernst. “So I know it will be a good match.”
Live scoring for the quarterfinals can be found at USGA.org, with updates at www.facebook.com/LSUwomensgolf and on Twitter @LSUwomensgolf.