Ayaka Furue (Japan) and Riona Maguire (Ireland) have reached the semi-finals of the Bank of Hope Match Play ($1.5 million) on the Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.
Huroue held a two-shot lead over Celine Boutier (FRA) through 17 holes to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament at Shadow Creek Golf Club (Par 72, 6,804 yards) in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on 28 September.
Furue won the Women’s Scottish Open in July last year, giving her one LPGA Tour victory and eight on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf (JLPGA) Tour.
She reached the final of this event last year before losing to Ji-hee Ji, but she has a chance to repeat as she swept through the group stage of the tournament with three straight wins, followed by victories in the round of 16 and quarter-finals.먹튀검증
After defeating Maya Stark (SWE) by two shots in the round of 16 earlier in the day, Huroue was one shot behind Boutier through the 13th (par-3) before levelling at the 14th (par-4) and then dropping holes 16 and 17 to book her place in the semi-finals.
Furue will face Maguire, who is also unbeaten in five matches from the group stage.
Maguire, who recorded her first LPGA Tour victory at the Drive-On Championship in February last year, cruised to her second LPGA Tour win of the day with a five-stroke victory over Perrine Delacour (FRA) in the round of 16 and a three-stroke win over Lindsey Weaver Wright (USA) in the quarter-finals.
The other semi-final pits Lynn Grant (SWE) against Pajari Annanarukarn (THA).
Grant defeated Daniela Darquea (Ecuador) by four strokes in the round of 16 and Alban Valenzuela (Switzerland) by three in the quarter-finals.
Ananarukan, who went 2-1 in her three group matches and tied with Caris Davidson (AUS) for the last 16 spot in a sudden-death playoff, defeated Cheyenne Knight (USA) and Carlota Zarzada (SPA) to reach the last four.
Ananarukan will be looking for her second LPGA Tour victory since the ISPS Handa World Invitational in August 2021, while Grant will be looking for her first LPGA Tour win.
There are eight South Koreans in the field, including last year’s winner Ji-hee Lee, but none of them made it past the round of 16, all of whom were eliminated in the group stage.