Doey Choi is hitting form at the right time with her debut in the US Women’s Amateur just around the corner.
Choi has been near her best in the Women’s North and South Amateur, currently underway at the Pinehurst Resort in South Carolina.
The 19-year-old marched into the matchplay rounds earlier this week after carding rounds of 73 and 74 around the testing No2 course at the famous resort.
Since then she has made every post a winner with victories against Americans Kennedy Swann and Meghan McLean to reach the quarter-finals.
Choi’s opponent in this morning’s quarter-final (AEST), Kelly Sim, fared no better than her countrywomen either, getting crunched by the pint-sized tyro, 3&2.
This afternoon’s match wasn’t all one-way, however. Choi was two down through ten holes.
“I hate losing,” she grinned.
“I was two down after ten, then went birdie, birdie, par, birdie, birdie.
“I really like the stretch from the 11th to the 14th here, so I’ve been waiting for those holes to fire up.
“You know how, for some players, some holes just seem to fit their eye?” Choi tried to explain. “That’s me and that stretch of par-4s. I just look forward to that stretch.”
Choi said she felt her game was coming along nicely, and when asked said she felt it was getting towards an eight or nine out of ten.
“I’m getting really strong when it comes to match play, and regardless of how I am hitting it, if I stay patient the whole way I know it gets to my opponent.”
Choi will face Texan Christine Wang in tomorrow’s semi-final, knowing a win might place her in a final against Victorian Gabi Ruffels, who is also tracking along nicely in the other half of the draw.
“She’s playing pretty good,” Choi added.