What a weekend for Japan’s Saki Baba at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur.
On Saturday, Baba, 17, routed fellow 17-year-old Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida, 7 and 6, in Saturday’s semifinal at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. It was the largest margin of victory in the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Am since Annika Sorenstam won by that same score in 1992.
In Sunday’s final, Baba won going away once again, this time earning an 11-and-9 win over Monet Chun, 21, of Canada, to win her first USGA title. Baba is the second golfer from Japan to win the Robert Cox Trophy. Baba was 7 up through 14 holes and held that same lead after the 18 holes of the 36-hole final. The U.S. Golf Association reports it was the biggest lead after 18 holes in 60 years.
U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery
After a lengthy break, the pair only played nine more holes. Chun cut the lead to 5 up through 21 holes, but Baba then won the next six holes to end the match after 27 holes.
“It’s just amazing. I just can’t believe it,” said an emotional Baba through a translator. “I was able to [play] my kind of golf. Yeah, everything just went smoothly.”
A star is born! Saki Baba wins the #USWomensAm in style 🏆 pic.twitter.com/EmBdZ9Hg9z
— USGA (@USGA) August 15, 2022
It’s the largest margin of victory in a U.S. Women’s Amateur final since Anne Sander in 1961.
By virtue of reaching the final, Baba and Chun are each exempt into the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in July 2023.
Golfers from eight countries (U.S., Australia, Canada, China, England, Ireland, Japan, Korea) have now won USGA titles in 2022.
