San Jose’s Katherine Zhu got here up brief in her bid to win in her U.S. Girls’s Mid-Beginner debut, falling 2 and 1 to 2019 champion Ina Kim-Schaad Wednesday afternoon within the semifinals on the Monterey Peninsula Nation Membership.
The 25-year-old Zhu, a former star at Cal and Harker Faculty, superior to the semifinals earlier Wednesday by defeating Golf Channel analyst and former Wake Forest golfer Emilia Doran 3 and 1 at Pebble Seashore.
Kim Schaad, of Jupiter, Fla., will face Henley Lengthy of Clarksville, Tenn. In Thursday’s 18-hole closing. The winner will earn a spot within the 2026 U.S. Girls’s Open at Riviera Nation Membership in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
“Pinch me,” stated the 42-year-old Kim-Schaad. “I mean, this was obviously my goal coming in for sure. I’ve worked ready hard this year to try and get here. But, yeah, it’s still pretty unbelievable. I’m super excited and grateful that I get to play this course one more time. I’m excited.”
Zhu, the co-medalist after taking pictures 67-74—141 in stroke play, struck first of their semifinal match, successful the opening gap with a par. However from there, Kim-Schaad took management of the entrance 9. She reeled off 4 straight wins on Nos. 3 by means of 6, enjoying 1-under-par golf over that stretch.
The match become a birdie alternate from there — Zhu sank a 30-footer on No. 11 to remain inside placing distance, then birdied the par-5 thirteenth to chop Kim-Schaad’s result in one, her closest margin because the 4th gap.
However Kim-Schaad responded but once more, steadying herself on the course’s signature par-3 14th with a par to push the benefit again to 2 up. Zhu closed the hole as soon as extra with a win on No. 15, however Kim-Schaad sealed the match on the sixteenth.
