If Latanna Stone goes on to win this championship, she will have earned it. In a performance that is reminiscent of Sam Bennett’s run at last year’s U.S. Amateur (he took out the 8, 9, 10 and 13th ranked players in the world) at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., en route to the title, Stone has now beaten the No. 7, No. 10 and No. 25 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking to reach Sunday’s 36-hole championship match at the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.
In addition to their high rankings, Stone’s five wins came against three of her 2022 USA Curtis Cup teammates (Amari Avery, Rachel Kuehn and Rachel Heck), the 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion (Yana Wilson) and the 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Thienna Huynh.
“I've just dreamed about this,” said Stone, who is entering her fifth year at LSU this fall. “This is -- you know I always think about how much it takes and, oh, my gosh I can't imagine playing all those matches, but here I am playing all these dang matches.”
In Saturday’s semifinal matchup, Stone set the tone early, recovering from an errant tee shot on the par-5 first hole that found the barranca left of the fairway to card a birdie and a quick 1-up advantage. After Heck evened the score with a par on the second hole, Stone would regain a 1-up lead after the fourth hole, before extending that lead to 4 up at the turn. That stretch would include four birdies in five holes, with no birdie putt exceeding 12 feet.
"The gears up here in my head are really turning this week,” said Stone, who is playing in her sixth U.S. Women’s Amateur, on what is different about this week. “Just really believing in myself, because I feel like I've had kind of a hard time believing in myself and thinking that I can do it.”
Facing Stone on Sunday will be Megan Schofill, 22, of Monticello, Fla., currently ranked No. 21 in WAGR. Schofill, also playing in her sixth Women’s Amateur, never trailed in her semifinal match against Hailey Borja, 21, of Lake Forest, Calif.
Like Stone, Schofill got out to a quick 1-up lead after Borja lost a ball on her approach into the first hole. She would extend the lead to two after a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-3 third hole. But Borja wouldn’t go down without a fight, winning holes 4 and 6 to tie the match.
“Just really thankful for the golf I played so far, and regardless of the outcome tomorrow, it's been a great week,” said a tearful Schofill. “I feel like there are no words that can describe it. Every girl in this field, obviously this was their goal. Obviously the ultimate goal is to go out there and try and play my best tomorrow, but regardless of the outcome I think it's still a great week.”
After exchanging a pair of hole-winning birdies (Schofill on 7, Borja on 13), the match would fall in Schofill’s favor for good on the par-5 14th hole, when the Auburn University graduate student channeled her inner war eagle and knocked in a 15-foot eagle putt to take the lead, this time, never relinquishing it.
“That was actually on the caddie, that one,” said Schofill on the club selection on the 14th hole. “I wanted to hit 3-hybrid and he was like, I think it's a 4 all day. Luckily I hit a high cut into the right-to-left wind and it came in nice and soft. I felt like that kind of switched the match. I hit three great shots there and was able to keep the momentum going into 15 and 16.”
For Stone and Schofill, Sunday’s pairing will be a comfortable one. The two have been close friends since first meeting in 8th grade.
“Obviously we both want to beat each other, but she's a great person on and off the golf course,” said Schofill. “I think regardless of the outcome we'll both be happy for one another.”
What’s Next
Sunday’s 36-hole championship match will begin at 9:45 a.m. PT and is scheduled to resume after a lunch break at 3 p.m. Golf Channel will broadcast live 4-7 p.m. PT (7-10 p.m. ET). Admission is free and spectators are encouraged to attend.
Notable
The four semifinalists earned exemptions into the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateurs. The two finalists are also exempt into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster (Pa.) C.C. The runner-up must remain an amateur.
Neither Stone nor Megan Schofill trailed at any point in their semifinal matches. Stone made six birdies and Schofill made four birdies and an eagle.
Stone and Schofill have each played in six U.S. Women’s Amateurs, including this year. Stone played in the 2012 championship as a 10-year-old.
Stone is looking to become the second player from LSU to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Meredith Duncan won the championship in 2001. Schofill would be the first player from Auburn to claim a Women’s Amateur title.
Heck’s semifinal defeat is her second in the last three years in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She lost to eventual champion Jensen Castle in 19 holes in 2021.
2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels won the Epson Tour’s Four Winds Invitational on Saturday.
Quotable
“Just going to suck it up. Going to get some treatment and ice it and do everything I can It's going to be harder for me obviously, but I think it's going to be fine.” - Latanna Stone on her lower leg muscle strain
“This has meant a lot to me. Genuinely just super proud of myself. It's been a really hard year, hard year and a half. So just to feel like myself again and to feel healthy. I mean, I've learned that the happiness that comes from winning is very fleeting, but the happiness that comes from just being healthy and being surrounded by people I love doing what I love, that's the good stuff. I'm really happy.” - Rachel Heck on her takeaways from the week
“I kind of want to believe that I was a little bit of the underdog here, just some really good players out here. This gave me some more confidence that I can compete with everyone.” - Hailey Borja on her semifinal finish
“I feel like I've hit the ball pretty well off the tee the whole week. A little bit on the front nine I was a little shaky off the tee. Hit a few high right shots, but was able to not do that after the turn so that kind of helped. I feel like this golf course if you can get it off the tee, that is super important because the rough is getting thick as the week has gone on. Feel like fairways and greens is what I've done. Haven't hit a lot close, but I have hit a lot to 20, 30 feet, and been able to leave a lot of those holes with par.” - Megan Schofill on her play this week
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