ANNIKA Cedo prevailed in an all-Filipina match with Lois Kaye Go on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time) to advance to the round of 32 in the US Girls’ Junior in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Cedo won 1-up in the first round of match play at Tulsa Country Club to set up a duel with China’s Muni He, who beat Simar Singh of California, 5 and 4.
However, Pauline del Rosario, a member of the Philippines’ Santi Cup winning team last year, bowed to long-hitting Angel Yin of California, 4 and 2.
Princess Superal, also a member of that 2014 Philippine santi Cup team, won the US Girls' Junior tournament last year to become the first Filipino to win a USGA event.
Stroke-play medalist Megan Khang beat Shannon Brooks 1 up to advance.
The 17-year-old Khang, from Rockland, Massachusetts, is making her record-tying seventh appearance in the tournament. She took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 16th and matched Brooks, from Vienna, Virginia, with pars on the final two holes at Tulsa Country Club.
"I think this is actually my worst round," said Khang, the low amateur in the US Women's Open. "It was definitely a good match, though. Shannon putted amazing today, and it was a great battle to have because she put me in a lot of pressure moments."
Khang will face Canada's Naomi Ko in the second round. Ko edged Allisen Corpuz of Honolulu 2 and 1.
Hannah O'Sullivan, the Chandler, Arizona, player who won a Symetra Tour event in February, was eliminated. She lost to Mexico's Maria Balcazar in 19 holes when Balcazar holed out from 151 yards for an eagle on the par-4 first hole.
"We saw it was a pretty good shot, and there were two people near the green who said, 'Wow!' but we didn't know it was in until I got to the green," Balcazar said.
Balcazar will play Yin.
Twelve-year-old Lucy Li of Redwood City, California, the youngest player in the field, had a 6-and-5 victory over Pajaree Anannaruam of Thailand. Li will face 13-year-old Karah Sanford of Escondido, California, a 3-and-2 winner over Kelly Su of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Thailand's Jaravee Boonchant and China's Muni He advanced, while fellow 16-year-old Sophie Liu of Canada dropped out. The trio tied for second in stroke-play qualifying, four strokes behind Khang.
Boonchant beat Beth Lillie of Fullerton, California, 3 and 2; He topped Simar Singh of Los Altos, California, 5 and 4; and Kathleen Scavo of Benicia, California, beat Liu 2 and 1.
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