Duke’s Carta advances to U.S. Women’s Amateur quarterfinal play

Lindy Brown, Duke Sports Information
Lindy Brown, Duke Sports Information
Lindy Brown, Duke Sports Information

SPRINGFIELD, PA. – Duke Blue Devils women’s golf was in the forefront of amateur golf news at the Rolling Green Golf Club as reigning NCAA champion Virginia Elena Carta kept her run going at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship on Thursday.

The native of Udine, Italy won two match play contests and advanced to the quarterfinals to be played on Friday.

Against Muni He, Carta went up and then found herself 2-down through five.

Though she responded with a birdie on the sixth hole, He birdied the ninth to push the lead back to 2-up at the turn.

Carta regained her momentum after winning the 10th hole.

Her fourth birdie of the day on No. 12 evened the match to all-square which set her up to soon gain the lead.

A birdie on the 13th allowed Carta to gain her first advantage at 1-up.

After both players halved the next three holes, Carta rolled a birdie in on 17 and clinched the win, 2&1, over He.

In her second match of the day, Carta faced Jessica Porvasnik.

Again down early, Carta responded and won four holes with two birdies and two pars and gained a 3-up lead through five.

Though Porvasnik tried to battle back, Carta stayed steady, won the 11th and 12th holes and stood 4-up with six holes remaining and eventually earned the win and will face Maria Torres to begin play in the final round of eight.

Notes: Fox Sports Net 1 will provide U.S. Women’s Amateur quarterfinal coverage from 3-6 p.m….Duke has totaled two golfers who have won the U.S. Women’s Amateur.  Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2003 at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., while Amanda Blumenherst won in 2008 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.