HARRISON, N.Y. — It was a match that could’ve easily come in the semifinals, but instead, two of the best players remaining in the field at the 121st U.S. Women’s Amateur squared off in the Round of 16.
And they didn’t disappoint.
Stanford sophomore Rachel Heck, the 2021 NCAA individual champion, and Brooke Matthews, a First Team All-SEC selection last season for Arkansas, dueled all afternoon at Westchester Country Club, but neither player was able to pull away, sending the match to extra holes where Heck won on the first with a par.
“It was so much fun. I think that’s what this tournament is all about,” Heck said after the match. “You expect to have these kind of matches. Really high pressure. My hands are shaking, my heart is beating so fast, but that’s what’s fun about it.
“Brooke is an amazing player. She’s going to go kill Q-School next week. She played so solid. I kept thinking I was going to get a hole back and then she would make some crazy up and down or make a putt. It was such a good match.”
.@rachelheck2020 is moving on to the #USWomensAm Quarterfinals after winning holes 17, 18 and 19!
Her late comeback is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/I10ba3jVdU
— USGA (@USGA) August 5, 2021
That’s putting it lightly. Matthews was in control most of the match and held a 1-up lead at three different occasions. But every time she took a lead, Heck was able to battle back to tie. Not surprising from the player who won her last five tournaments of her freshman year to earn the 2021 ANNIKA Award as the nation’s best collegiate female golfer.
Standing on the par-5 18th tee down a shot, Heck did what she does best: make birdie. Matthews was unable to match the effort and off to No. 1 they went for extra holes. Heck found the green while Matthews went long and failed to get up-and-down, opening the door for the two-putt win.
Heck lost just one hole in her first two matches that both ended on the 13th hole, but got a real test from Matthews, who won five holes despite the loss. So what did Heck think of the rest of the back nine at Westchester West?
“It’s a pretty course,” she said with a laugh.
Following the morning trend of lopsided matches, 15-year-old Cara Heisterkamp made quick work of Aline Krauter, 7 and 5, while Purdue’s Kan Bunnabodee defeated Ohio State’s Kailie Vongsaga, 6 and 5. That wasn’t the only Big Ten battle of the day, as Michigan State’s Valentina Rossi defeated Hailey Borja of rival Michigan in 20 holes in the afternoon’s first match.
Emily Mahar earned medalist honors in her U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier at Lakeside Park Club in Richmond, Virginia, and has rode that momentum into the quarterfinals with style.
What a way to close out a #USWomensAm match!
@EmilyMahar_ chips it in to win 1 up and get into the quarterfinals. pic.twitter.com/6LvGUJqLPI
— USGA (@USGA) August 5, 2021
“I had the exact same shot this morning in my first match,” said Mahar, who made it to the Round of 32 last year. “(Her caddie) walked up to me and she said, ‘At least you know how this one goes,’ even though this morning it was for eagle and this time it was to close it out.
“Yeah, I just felt really confident in that spot on the green and knew that at worst I would get up and down; went in.”
Quarterfinal action begins at 1 p.m. ET Friday afternoon, with coverage from 2-5 p.m. on Peacock.
Quarterfinals
- 1 p.m. – Valentina Rossi vs. Brooke Seay
- 1:10 p.m. – Cara Heisterkamp vs. Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou
- 1:20 p.m. – Jensen Castle vs. Emily Mahar
- 1:30 p.m. – Rachel Heck vs. Kan Bunnabodee
TV/streaming info
- Friday: Quarterfinals, 2 to 5 p.m. ET, Peacock
- Saturday: Semifinals, 2 to 5 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
- Sunday: Championship match, 2 to 5 p.m. ET, Golf Channel