In case you missed it, another member of the Torrance High girls golf program is making noise at the U.S. Women's Amateur this week ...
Former Torrance standout Demi Runas, now a UC Davis junior, beat Ket Preamchuen early Thursday then beat USC senior Lisa McCloskey on the first extra hole of their match to earn a berth in today's quarterfinals at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in Barrington, R.I.
Runas, 19, the reigning Big West Conference Player of the Year, will face defending champion and former Pepperdine standout Danielle Kang today with the winner advancing to Saturday's semifinals. The 36-hole final will be played on Sunday.
The national championship is being contested at the 6,399-yard Rhode Island Country Club.
Runas never trailed in the match against McCloskey, but also never led by more than one hole. McCloskey tied the third-round match four times, including on the 18th hole when Runas bogeyed the par-5. McCloskey double-bogeyed the par-4 No. 1 hole while Runas secured the win with a 4.
Runas opened her day with a win over Preamchuen, who plays for Kennesaw State. The two were all square through the first two holes but a par and birdie on the next two holes pushed Runas into a two-hole lead. She led by four after seven holes but Preamchuen won three of the next four holes to climb within one.
Runas' birdie on the par-4 12th gave her that hole and another on the par-4 15th put her 3 up. Both players parred the next hole, clinching the win for Runas.
Runas is used to success, having helped lead Torrance to three state championships and a runner-up finish in her four years there.
The 18-year-old Kang, from Westlake Village, holed a 9-iron shot for eagle on the par-4 14th to finish off 17-year-old Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., 6 and 4, then beat Cindy Ha of Demarest, N.J., 2 and 1.
In the other upper-bracket quarterfinal, Brooke Pancake of Chattanooga, Tenn., will play Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash.
In the lower bracket, Stephanie Kono of Honolulu will face Austin Ernst of Seneca, S.C.; and Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn will play Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wis.
For a little more on Runas' week, check out this story from GolfWeek's Julie Williams.
http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/11/despite-strange-superstition-runas-advances-am/
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