Ruffles set on history

Gabi Ruffels today launches her tee-shot on the last hole in Old Waverly. Photo: USGA

Gabriela Ruffels from Australia is on the point of history.

No Australian has won the US Women & # 39; s Amateur Championship in 119 years, but Ruffels has invaded the final of the prestigious competition at Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi.

The 19-year-old Melburnian plays Albane Valenzuela, from Switzerland, in the 36-hole final late in the Australian time tonight.

Ruffels, who is studying at the University of Southern California, defeated the American Andrea Lee in the 18th hole 2-up in their semi-final.

Two against two to play, Ruffels saw Lee make a clutch bird on the 17th who extended the fight, and on the 18th Lee found problems and the Australian hit a beautiful iron seven over the flag that marked the victory.

In her first American amateur appearance, the teenager was fantastic and wanted to be the first of her country women to win the title. Remarkably, she only started playing golf at the age of 15 after a great junior tennis career in Orlando, Florida, where she was born. Her older brother is the professional golfer Ryan, currently playing on feeder US PGA Tours, and both her father Ray and mother Anna Maria were tennis professionals.

"It would be great (to be the first Aussie to win that distinction)," Ruffels said after her round. "I'm not really thinking about that, I'm just going to concentrate on my game, keep doing what I do, and if that's the end of the day, I'm super happy. But even reaching the final and getting that chance to trying to get the title a bit is really great. ”

Ruffels, who recently won the North and South amateur at Pinehurst in North Carolina, has joined Adelaide & # 39; s Anne-Marie Knight and Hobart & # 39; s Lindy Goggin as the only Australian women to reach the final.

Her opponent tonight, Valenzuela, 21, plays under the Swiss flag, but also grew up in both Switzerland and Mexico and studies in the American college system. It is her second appearance in the final, after losing 6 & 5 to Sophia Schubert at the San Diego Country Club in 2017.

The final starts on Sunday at 8.30 am local time (11.30 am AEST).

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