Defending champion Kelsey Chugg advanced to the semifinals of the Women's State Amateur with a pair of victories Wednesday at Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Course at Midway.
Chugg, the No. 1 seed who just completed her collegiate eligibility at Weber State, defeated Kalea Heu 3 and 2 in the morning round and came back to beat Haley Dunn 1 up in the afternoon. She will face University of Montana golfer Tara Green in Thursday morning's semifinals with the chance to play in Thursday's final.
Green defeated Sadie Palmer 4 and 3 in the morning and Madi Rooker 1-up in the afternoon.
In the other semifinal, co-medalists Lea Garner and Sirene Blair will face off in a rematch of last year's quarterfinals when Garner came out on top. Garner and Blair both shot 142 in the stroke play Monday and Tuesday to share medalist honors.
Blair, who is heading to San Diego State to play college golf this fall, had to go 19 holes to defeat Brooke Whittaker in a match that was delayed by lightning Wednesday evening. She made a birdie on the 502-yard No. 1 hole to win the match. In the morning she had little trouble beating Hannah Herman 5 and 4.
Garner, who just completed her freshman year at BYU, won both of her matches handily, beating Carly Oldroyd and Annette Gaiotti by 5 and 4 scores. Gaiotti, 60, the oldest player in the tournament, knocked off 2011 champ Julie McMullin 2 up in a first-round match Wednesday.
The semifinal match between Chugg and Green will begin at 7:40 a.m. on the Wasatch Lake Course with the Garner-Blair match to follow at 7:55 a.m. The winners will square off about noon in the 18-hole final.
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Utah Women's State Amateur
Round of 16
Kelsey Chugg def. Kalea Heu, 3 and 2
Haley Dunn def. Kristie Jensen, 1-up
Tara Green def. Sadie Palmer, 4 and 3
Madi Rooker def. Rynae Baca, 4 and 2
Lea Garner def. Carly Oldroyd, 5 and 4
Annette Gaiotti def. Julie McMullin, 2-up
Sirene Blair def. Hannah Herman, 5 and 4
Brooke Whittaker def. Randi Stephens, 1-up
Quarterfinals
Chugg def. Dunn 1 up
Green def. Rooker 1 up
Garner def. Gaiotti 5 and 4
Blair def. Whittaker, 19 holes
Today's semifinals
7:40 a.m. — Chugg vs. Green
7:55 a.m. — Garner vs. Blair