Pressel makes quarterfinals

ROSWELL, Ga. — Morgan Pressel needed a playoff hole to win her second-round match Thursday morning, then had a solid win in the afternoon and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Also moving on to today’s quarterfinals at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek course in suburban Atlanta were medalist In-Kyung Kim, Jennie Lee, Angela Park, Maria Uribe, Alison Whitaker, Maru Martinez and Jenny Suh.

The 17-year-old Pressel, the runner-up in July’s U.S. Women’s Open, had to go 19 holes to beat Mina Harigae in the second round.

Both had six birdies and one bogey in matching 5-under-par 67s, but Harigae, who beat Pressel in the Girls’ Junior Championship two years ago, bogeyed the first playoff hole.

“I don’t think Mina missed a fairway or a green until her drive on the playoff hole,” Pressel said.“We were making putts one on top of the other. The quality of golf was something you’d see in a final.”

In the afternoon, Pressel won 4 and 2 over 14-year-old Jane Rah, who eliminated former U.S. Junior champion In-Bee Park in the second round.

Pressel and Rah were all square after 10 holes, but Pressel birdied three of the next four holes to take a 3-up lead.Kim went extra holes in both matches. She birdied the first playoff hole to win her morning match in 19 holes against Laura Matthews, the assistant women’s golf coach at Georgia. In the afternoon, Kim needed 20 holes to get past defending champion Jane Park, again winning with a birdie.

Lee, who signed a letter of intent with Duke, beat recent U.S. Women’s Public Links champion Eun Jung Lee 2-up in the second round then outlasted 2004 Women’s Amateur runner-up Amanda McCurdy in 20 holes.

McCurdy, who plays for Arkansas, birdied three holes to erase a 2-down deficit after 12 holes, but bogeyed 18 to send the match to extra holes, with Lee ending it with a birdie.

Park, who won her morning match 9-and-8, was 5-up after 10 holes in her afternoon match against Nannette Hill then won 3-and-1.

The semifinals are Saturday, and the 36-hole final is Sunday.

North and South Amateur: In Pinehurst, N.C., USC Aiken’s Dane Burkhart won both his matches in the 105th North and South Amateur to advance to today’s quarterfinals.

In the morning match, the third-seeded Burkhart beat Tim Pemberton 5 and 4, then stopped Josh Sandman 3 and 2 in the afternoon.

Burkhart will take on Eddie Peckels of Delray Beach, Fla., this morning at 8.

Augusta State sophomore Jamie Miller lost his second-round match Thursday morning to Ryan Pose, 7 and 6.

The semifinals are Saturday and the final Sunday.

S.C. Amateur: In Daniel Island, S.C., former Augusta State player Emmett Turner is tied for third place after the first round of the South Carolina Golf Association Amateur Championship.

Turner, who completed his eligibility with the Jaguars in the spring, shot 4-under-par 68.

He trails leader Baker Elmore, an 18-year-old from Cheraw, by four shots.

Blythewood’s Jeff Spencer is in second place with 66 and Columbia’s Warren Thomas is third with 67.

The top area golfer is Aiken’s Kevin Kisner. The University of Georgia star shots 70.

Of the other Aiken players, defending champion Alex Hamilton and Patrick Cunning had 72s, Mike Wiland had 78 and Alan Ryder 86.

Edgefield’s Josh Jackson had 78.

Former North Augustan Terry Ezell, of York, had 74.

The 72-hole tournament runs through Sunday.