Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Japan’s Ayaka Furue won a pair of matches on Saturday to advance to the semi-finals at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play in Las Vegas.
Maguire picked up a 5-and-3 victory over France’s Perrine Delacour before beating American Lindsey Weaver-Wright 3 and 2, while Furue topped Sweden’s Maja Stark 2 and 1 before securing a 2-and-1 win against Celine Boutier of France.
Both Maguire and Furue have not lost at the event, sitting at 5-0-0. In the quarter-finals, Maguire and Weaver-Wright were tied after six holes, but Maguire won the next three to pull away. Weaver-Wright got no closer than 2-up.
“I mean, really happy to get through 36 holes (Saturday). It’s nice to be in the semifinal. Played some really solid golf today,” Maguire said after the round.
“A little scrappy maybe this afternoon, but knew it was going to be a battle out there and it was just a case of staying patient.”
Furue’s quarter-final match with Boutier was much closer, as the two were tied after 15 holes. But Furue won Nos 16 and 17, bumping Boutier from contention.
“Just happy to win (Saturday),” Furue said. “It was really difficult and tough match (Saturday), two rounds, but, yeah, fortunately I was really happy with that.”
Maguire and Furue will go head-to-head on Sunday, and they will be joined by Sweden’s Linn Grant and Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn in the semi-finals.
Grant took down Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea 4 and 3 before cruising past Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela 3 and 1, while Anannarukarn captured a 3-and-2 win against American Cheyenne Knight ahead of her 3-and-2 victory over Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.
“It’s stressful to play match play and just - you get so happy when you get that win,” Grant said. “Right now I’m just really very happy and excited for (Sunday).”
To reach the quarter-finals, Ciganda beat Alison Lee of the United States (2 and 1), Valenzuela defeated Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (1 up), Boutier topped American Angel Yin (4 and 2) and Weaver-Wright bested countrywoman Sophia Schubert (4 and 3).