HARRISON, N.Y. – How good has Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou played this week in her U.S. Women’s Amateur debut?
She hasn’t seen the 17th hole at Westchester Country Club’s West Course since the second round of stroke play on Tuesday.
The Arizona junior punched her ticket to the semifinals with a 4-and-3 win over 15-year-old Ohioan Cara Heisterkamp in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal match. Hou never trailed once in the match.
“I did not like come in this tournament for that high expectation because this actually my first tournament of the summer,” said Hou, who took a full two months off after her college season ended at the NCAA Championship in May. “So this is my I first tournament back, and I’m pretty happy about like the result right now. And then just keep doing my best and looking forward next two days.”
After making match play by two shots, Hou has coasted through the tournament with a 3-and-2 win in the Round of 64 against Alessia Nobilio, an 8-and-7 shellacking of Bibilani Liu in the Round of 32 and another 3-and-2 victory against Emma McMyler in Thursday’s Round of 16.
And she’s doing it all with a torn labrum in her left hip. Hou was planning to do surgery this summer but decided to focus more on physical therapy and exercise. The hilly layout at Westchester West hasn’t made it easy on the Taiwan native, but she’s got some solid help on the bag in her sister and former Wildcat teammate, Yu-Sang Hou.
“It’s really special experience for both of us because we’ve been playing golf together for so long time. Like, we were starting playing golf and you know, every time when she caddy for me, or I caddy for her, we have a lot of fun,” said Hou of her sister, who was a key member of Arizona’s 2018 national championship team.
Solid golf
gets @ArizonaWGolf‘s Vivian Hou into the #USWomensAm Semifinals!
She advances after a 4&3 victory. pic.twitter.com/dBzPVcq4Ej
— USGA (@USGA) August 6, 2021
“I’m really lucky that I go to University of Arizona with my sister and then we have such a strong team and now we have a lot, a lot of good people, good teammates,” said Hou. “I think that helps to prepare every tournament I have.”
Semifinals
- 1:15 p.m. – Valentina Rossi vs. Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou
- 1:30 p.m. – Rachel Heck vs. Jensen Castle
TV/streaming info
- Saturday: Semifinals, 2 to 5 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
- Sunday: Championship match, 2 to 5 p.m. ET, Golf Channel