July 18, 2008
Pinehurst, N.C. -
Furman's Blair Lamb defeated the University of Georgia's Garrett Phillips 2-up on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the 106th United States Women's North and South Amateur Championship at the Pinehurst No. 2 course in Pinehurst, N.C.
Lamb, 1-up entering the final hole, birdied No. 18 to secure the victory and advance to the semifinals set for 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. The rising Paladin senior will face No. 4 seed and Mt. Pleasant, Australia, native Kristie Smith who is the daughter of former PGA Tour pro Wayne Smith. She edged Marika Lendl 3-and-2 to earn a spot in the semifinal round.
The winner of Saturday's 18-hole match play competition will advance to the 36-hole final scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Sunday against the winner of the other semifinal between the University of Louisville's Cindy LaCrosse and Georgetown's Chelsea Curtis.
Lamb, two down entering the final three holes in the round of 16, rallied to win two holes before defeating Keating by draining a 15-foot putt on the 20th hole of the round. The Flat Rock, N.C., native and rising senior advances to face the University of Georgia's Garrett Phillips in a 7:30 a.m. quarterfinal match on Friday at Pinehurst No. 2.
Lamb, the 2007 Southern Conference individual medalist and No 33 seed, defeated No 1 seed and defending North and South champion Alison Walshe of the University of Arizona Thursday morning before topping Australian Stacey Keating in 20 holes to reach her quarterfinal round match with Phillips.
This year's North and South Amateur began with 156 golfers. The top 64, after two rounds of stroke play, advanced to the match play portion of the tournament which began on Wednesday. Lamb fired rounds of 74 and 77 to finish stroke play at six-over-par and in a tie for 26th position.
The North and South Amateur is the longest running women's amateur tournament in the country having begun in Pinehurst, N.C., in 1903. Past winners include Morgan Pressel, Carol Semple Thompson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Peggy Kirk Bell.
