USC
Duke
Players Mentioned
USC Defeats Duke in NCAA Quarterfinals, Will Face Alabama
May 22, 2018 | Women's Golf, Features
No. 5 USC's freshmen rose up in their biggest test yet, three of them winning their matches to lead the Trojans to a 3-1-1 win over No. 4 Duke in the NCAA Championships match play quarterfinals Tuesday morning (May 22) at the Karsten Creek G.C. in Stillwater, Okla.
The win clinches the Trojans' second straight national semifinal appearance and third overall in the four years the NCAA has featured an eight-team match play bracket to determine the national champion. USC is one of only two schools to reach the match play each year but has yet to reach the final in this format.
The Trojans will face top-ranked Alabama in the semifinals starting at 11:30 a.m. PT.
USC, which has NCAA titles in 2003, 2008 and 2013, kept its hopes alive for a fourth with a determined win over a veteran Duke squad. The Trojans have also secured their NCAA record 13th straight NCAA top 5 finish.
Freshman Alyaa Abdulghany secured Troy's first point with a 4&2 win over Lisa Maguire. Abdulghany led almost the entire way, clinching her match with an eight-foot putt on 7.
Freshman Gabi Ruffels followed with a 1up win over Jaravee Boonchant. Ruffels briefly trailed early, built a 2up lead twice, but headed to her final hole on 9 with a 1up lead. The Aussie freshman, however, came through with a 3-footer to halve 9 for the win.
Freshman Jennifer Chang battled Duke senior All-American and one of the top amateurs in the world, Leona Maguire, back and forth all match, before falling, 1down on the final hole after eight ties during the round.
Lone sophomore Allisen Corpuz was grinding on a third playoff hole against Duke junior Virginia Elena Carta after she squared the match with wins on the 8th and 9th holes, but she never got a chance to finish.
That is because New Zealand freshman Amelia Garvey came through with a 2up win over Duke's Ana Belac. Garvey built a 3-hole lead through 10 but saw the match tied through 16. She then won 8 with a par and bombed her drive on 9. With Belac in the weeds and Garvey's approach on 9 within a few feet of the hole, Duke conceded the match, sending USC to the semifinals.
