Four-time champion Kelsey Chugg advanced to the semifinals of the 112th Women's State Amateur, winning two matches Wednesday at Bonneville Golf Course.
Three other top top-four seeds from this week’s stroke-play qualifying will join her in Thursday morning’s semifinals. Chugg, a former Weber State golfer who works for the Utah Golf Association, will meet Colorado State’s Jessica Sloot. Bingham High School senior Tess Blair, the stroke-play medalist, will face Xena Motes, a former Ogden High and Weber State golfer. The 18-hole final match will follow in the afternoon.
Wednesday's theme was convincing victories for three of the semifinalists, with only Motes having to play more than 16 holes in either round. Motes went 21 holes to beat Anna Lesa in the round of 16, then outlasted Kerstin Fotu in 21 holes in the quarterfinals.
Chugg, who will play in next week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur in Tennessee, is the reigning U.S. Women’s Mid-Amarteur champion. Her first State Am victory came in 2012.
WOMEN’S STATE AMATEUR
Round of 16 Tess Blair def. Karen Valcarce, 7 and 6; Kaylee Shimizu def. Anna Kennedy, 1 up; Xena Motes def. Anna Lesa, 21 holes; Kerstin Fotu def. Poy Prasurtwong, 7 and 5; Jessica Sloot def. Emma Winfree, 6 and 5; Carly Dehlin def. Annie Yang, 4 and 3; Kelsey Chugg def. Whitney Banz, 7 and 6; Carly Savage def. Grace Summerhays, 2 and 1. Quarterfinals Blair def. Shimizu, 3 and 2; Motes def. Fotu, 21 holes; Sloot def. Dehlin, 5 and 4; Chugg def. Savage 3 and 2.
