Gabi Ruffels moves on to the last eight on day four of the US Women & # 39; s Amateur before 2019. (Photo: USGA)
If there is one thing hotter than Mississippi in August, it is the wave that Gabi Ruffels plays in his midst.
Ruffels, 19, ended up in the quarterfinals of the US Women & # 39; s Amateur Championship today and clinically sent two American opponents.
The Victorian first drilled four birds in her 4 & 3 round of 32 victory over Haylin Harris of India.
Then in the round of 16, the Victoria Golf Club member ruthlessly confronted the dangerous Brooke Seay in punishing the smallest mistakes by the Californian on the way to a dominant 6 & 5 victory.
"It was a good day," said the restrained Ruffels about her romping around Old Waverly Golf Club in the heart of the deep south.
"This is perhaps the hottest place I have been in my life – today it was 110 Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) and it is really damp, I just drip sweat.
"So it was good to win against two tough opponents … and then get out (the track) and cool down a bit."
US Women & # 39; s Amateur 2019: results, scores and braces
However, there seems to be no cooling for the game of Ruffels, which seems to go from strength to strength after her second season at the University of Southern California, including a win over the recent North and South amateur in Pinehurst.
And although some may argue that not repeatedly playing all the holes under pressure at Old Waverly – she also won 5 & 4 in the round of 64 – could be a negative result, Ruffels disagrees.
"I'm pretty happy with my matches, nobody wants to go 19th," she joked.
"And I still felt the pressure, it's not like it's a breeze because they're really good players … so there's always pressure, it doesn't have to be in the last hole or so.
"But even when I went back to the North and South, all my games there were long and tough, so it's not like I haven't seen that lately.
"So it goes well with (previous wins) and resting. It is so hot that it can be an advantage at some point."
Ruffels, bidding to be the first Australian woman to win the biggest amateur event in the sport, followed Harris early today when she made a rare bogey on the fourth.
But the most important moments followed soon after.
"I triple that green and she went up and down from about 80 feet, she played well," Ruffels said about Harris.
"At the next hole, I hit it to about two feet and made the birdie to return to the square.
"But I think the big (moment) came on the sixth, because she had a 20-foot curling that I didn't expect from left to right, but she did.
"So I made a really good 15 foot from right to left putt (in response to half) and holding that momentum was really important.
"From there I played really well and just kept it up."
Seay, who yesterday had eliminated Steph Kyriacou in 22 holes and her fellow Sydneysider Grace Kim in 21 with the recent US Girls & Amateur, arrived confidently in the afternoon game.
But Ruffels won the first hole and simply did not give in.
Seay only won the 11th hole, but Ruffels immediately shot the next hole to cast doubt on the issue.
"That score doesn't really reflect how close that match was," Ruffels said modestly.
"She fought all the time and is a great player, but I kept putting pressure on her and it went my way."
Along with other results, Ruffels left, at number 6, the highest remaining seed in the tournament.
But again, the young Aussie, at the debut at this championship, said that this did not lead to extra pressure.
"No, I am happy with it. It means that I clearly feel good about this job and that I play well.
"This is why you play – to stand on the larger stages. I can't wait to go back."
Ruffels' quarter-final opponent is Texan Kenzie Wright tomorrow, who defeated reigning Vic Junior Masters and Port Phillip Amateur champion Min A Yoon from Korea.
"Kenzie is playing in Alabama and we played a little against them as a team, but I never played against her directly," Ruffels said.
"But it should be a good match again, I know for sure."