Gabi Ruffels catches her ball thrown by her caddy during her quarter-final victory today. Photo: USGA
Gabi Ruffels said she was ready for an epic challenge with US Women & # 39; s Amateur – and she was true to her word.
The Victorian moved where very few of her country women have ever been and called for some spectacular late approaches to move on to the final four of the first amateur golf event for women.
No Australian has ever won the event – Anne-Marie Knight and legendary Lindy Goggin were each defeated finalists – meaning Ruffels is just one step away from matching their achievements.
That will happen tonight (Australian time) when the Melburnian is confronted with world number 2 Andrea Lee in a semi-final at Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi.
Lee followed the earlier path of Ruffels with an unbridled victory of 6 and 5 today, but the Aussie was pushed all the way in booking their collision, eventually victorious 2 & 1 after a world class finish.
In the other semi-final, Lee & # 39; s Stanford team-mate Albane Valenzuela, from Switzerland, will compete against American 15-year-old Megha Ganne.
But all Australian eyes will be on Ruffels, who played the least holes of the remaining players this week thanks to some amazing earlier wins in the match.
After her victory round of 16, Ruffels said that a tighter, longer competition would not surprise her – and she certainly has that today from Texan Kenzie Wright.
The two collegians – Ruffels is a rising junior at the University of Southern California – combined for 13 birdies, the last three of which were converted by Ruffels.
"It was crazy," said Ruffels, who won the North & South Amateur in Pinehurst last month.
"She just never made bogeys. I waited until she would miss a shot somewhere and then took my chance, but it just didn't happen.
"She put pressure on every hole … and it finally came to the point that I knew I needed birds to win holes and the competition."
Ruffels, who had previously won the first and fifth holes with birdies, three-putted for bogey on the long par-four 13th shortly after a bogey on the 11th and was suddenly 1-down to the University of Alabama star.
"At that time, Kenzie had barely missed a green and when she did, she had a down, so I knew it would take something extra," Ruffels said.
And it came in spades on the 15th.
With the tee higher in the par-five, the Victoria Golf Club crashed a ride up to 151 meters from the flag, just as Wright missed the fairway.
Wright kept the ball in play, but couldn't reach the green with her second – and that was the moment of Ruffels.
"My ball was against the first (rough cut), but I knew I could come home in two and I took a 6-iron and placed it on the green and took two putts for my birdie (to arrange the game)
"Then I think the most important moment was probably in the next hole, when I hit an iron 7 in one foot and she missed the green. She played a good shot, but … my putt admitted and I was 1-up
"I put my tee-shot on the (par-three) 17th to about 15 feet and she again missed the green, but played a great shot that almost went in, so I knew I had a putt to win the game and I was lucky enough that it went in. "
Remarkably, Wright was five under and he hadn't had a bogey man, but Ruffels was so impressive that she only had to reach for the victor's hand.
"It was super fun all day. It was a bit stressful, but it was super fun. These are the types of competitions you look forward to," the American said.
Despite her two bogeys, Ruffels was a stellar six under when she triumphed.
"I just told myself, this is good for you to be in a pressure situation," said Ruffels, who had not gone past the 15th hole in one of her three previous games.
"It's good to see how you deal with it. I didn't want to shrink from it; I just took it a little bit and did it fairly well."
Ruffels said she had played against Lee several times and was looking forward to their game.
"I know her game, she knows mine, so there are no secrets, I think," Ruffels said.
"I play well, so that's all I can really try again."
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