Andrea Lee hadn’t played the 17th and 18th holes at The Ridgewood Country Club since Tuesday’s final round of stroke-play qualifying. On Friday, the 17-year-old from Hermosa Beach, Calif., needed both holes to earn her first ticket to a U.S. Golf Association final.
Lee found herself 1 down to stroke-play medalist Hye-Jin Choi after 16 holes of their semifinal matchup at the U.S. Girls’ Junior before a pair of clutch birdies by Lee gave her a 1-up victory. The last birdie was especially impressive, as Lee was in the rough off the tee before hitting her approach about 15 feet past the hole, the ball then catching a ridge and funneling back to 5 feet from the cup.