Watching high-level junior and amateur tournaments around the world, I get to see some great young players and am continually impressed with the talent and skills these kids display. However, one area in which I often see simple mistakes made and shots given up is around the green, like hitting high-lofted shots to hole locations that don’t require such a risky play. Sure, it’s fun to throw the ball up in the air but less fun to waste shots!

If you have an opportunity to use the ground then always play the smart, easy and more effective shot. I like the idea of flying the ball one-third of the way to the hole and letting it roll the other two-thirds of the way. And I also like hitting these run shots with lower-lofted clubs — like a pitching wedge or nine-iron. When you have to deloft a 60-degree wedge to hit a running shot, the shaft leans so much toward the target that it effectively eliminates the bounce on the wedge, making it easier to stick the leading edge into the ground. Instead, use a pitching wedge, which allows the shaft to be more vertical (90 degrees) to the ground and makes the shot way easier to play.

Technically, I like the ball in the middle of the stance, the feet close together, and the pressure a little more under your lead leg (60 per cent on lead leg). I like the grip pressure to be lighter so you can feel the club head during this flowing, rhythmic stroke. I also like the feet and shoulders to be slightly open for this shot and the bottom of the club to brush and skim the ground under and just past the ball.

Try this drill, featuring Team Canada’s Jared du Toit, to develop your feel and confidence on run shots. From about five yards off the green to a flag about 10 yards on the green, drop six balls. Start with your most lofted club — maybe a 60-degree wedge — and hit a shot trying to get the ball close to the hole. Then, for each of the next five balls, use a less lofted club each time. Ball No. 2 could be your 56-degree wedge, ball No. 3 your 52-degree wedge, ball No. 4 your PW, ball No. 5 your nine-iron and ball No. 6 your eight-iron. Notice how where you want to land the ball gets closer to you and the ball rolls out more as you move to a less lofted club. You will often be best when the ball flies one third of the shot and rolls the other two thirds — like a putt.

Practise varying your clubs and trajectory to enhance your creativity and get up and down more often.

This article was written by Team Canada Men’s Coach, Derek Ingram.
Follow @dingramgolf

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Chase Komaromi and Stephane Dubois both shot 1-under 71 to win co-medallist honours at the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

Komaromi, from London, Ont., was the sole leader of the tournament at 2-under when he was making the turn to the back nine. After a bogey on 10, the 23-year-old amateur managed to stay at 1-under to finish off the round.

“I started off well and made a few good par saves early,” he said. “I figured if I kept putting well and hitting the middle of the greens I might be able to get in a pretty good score. The last couple of holes I made a couple of sketchy first putts, but I was able to clean them up with some three footers.”

Dubois got off to a rocky start when he bogeyed the opening hole, but the Brantford, Ont., native managed to bring himself back to even with a birdie on the second hole.

“I got out to the first tee, elected to hit driver because I figured if I’m going to miss, I’m going to miss close to the green,” he said. “I then probably hit my worst tee shot of the day, ended up taking a bogey on the first, but got it back with a tap-in bride on the second.”

After dropping a birdie on six and make the turn at 1-under, Dubois managed to play the back nine even par and secure himself a spot at the top of the leaderboard beside Komaromi.

Dubois and Komaromi, along with Peter Laws (E), Beon Yeong Lee (E) and Ferrier (+2), will move on to the next round of the qualifying process and have earned a ticket to sectional qualifying on June 5.

The tournament was the first U.S. Open Local Qualifier to be held on Canadian soil since 1999 which worked to the benefit of the large Canadian representation in the field.

“It’s nice to not have to go to Michigan to play,” said Komaromi. “It’s good to stay here, close to home and you can’t play on a better course than this. It’s a pleasure.”

“With as much as Canadian golf has to offer, extending a qualifier to Canada, in Ontario or anywhere across the nation, is a good move,” said Dubois. “I think we’ve proven that there’s enough solid, competitive players out here that we should have more in the future.”

Both Komaromi and Dubois posted the low scores of the day despite having limited playing time at Beacon Hall. Komaromi managed just one practice round on Friday while it was Dubois’ first time playing the course.

“I played a practice round on Friday and I would have even played in the snow,” Komaromi said. “It was awesome.”

Branson Ferrier secured the final spot into sectional qualifying after he won a four-man playoff between J.C. Deacon, Russell Budd and Kevin Fawcett (a). Deacon and Budd were each eliminated after the first playoff hole while Ferrier had to play two additional holes to decide the winner.

The day got off to a slow start when a frost delay pushed the starting times from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. while cold and windy conditions resulted in only two golfers able to post scores in the red.

THE TOP-5 ADVANCING TO SECTIONAL QUALIFYING

1. Chase Komaromi (a), London, Ont., 71 -1
2. Stephane, Dubois, Brantford, Ont., 71 -1
3. Peter Laws, Whitby, Ont., 72 E
4. Beon Yeong Lee, Montreal, Que., 72 E
5. Branson Ferrier, Barrie, Ont., 74 +2

NOTABLES

Chase Komaromi (a) of London, Ont.
Made it through the 2016 Canadian Open Regional Qualifier, but he posted an 8-over in the Final Qualifier and failed to make it to the final field.

“The atmosphere was great,” Komaromi said. “To see people walking out there which was awesome, and this course is phenomenal so it was a real treat to play here.”

Stephane Dubois of Brantford, Ont.
Has participated in multiple USGA championships and matched the day-low score of 71 while playing Beacon Hall Golf Course for the first time.

“I’d love to play it if it wasn’t so windy, and know that I know the course a bit more, but it leaves a real good taste in my mouth,” he said.

Peter Laws of Whitby, Ont.
Qualified and competed in the 2013 RBC Canadian Open where registered back-to-back 74 rounds and failed to make the cut by three strokes.

Beon Yeong Lee of Montreal, Que.,
The 27-year-old headed into the final three holes sitting at 2-under, but bogeys at 16 and 18 resulted in an even-par finish.

“It was a tough day, a lot of wind and the course was playing tough, they moved every tee box really far back,” he said. I was struggling with my tee shot but I made a lot of up-and-downs and when I need to make a birdie, I made a birdie.”

Branson Ferrier of Barrie, Ont.
Won a four-man playoff to secure the final spot into sectional qualifying. He was sitting at 1-under entering the final three holes, but scored a bogey on both 16 and 17 before he registered a double-bogey on 18, forcing the playoff.

FAST FACTS

Tee times were delayed by an hour and 45 minutes due to frost.

Four players competed in a playoff for the final spot: J.C. Deacon, Russell Budd, Kevin Fawcett (a) and Branson Ferrier.

Fawcett is the alternate and Deacon is the second alternate.

First international local qualifier held on Canadian soil since 1999 when the Golf Association of Michigan held a qualifier in Windsor Ont., at Essex Golf and Country Club.

The last person to complete the qualifying process and go on to win the U.S. Open was Orville Moody in 1969.

Top five finishers receive an exemption into the sectional qualifying round where 980 gofers will compete for a to-be-determined number of slots on June 5.

Of the 14 Canadians who made it to the sectional qualifiers in 2016, only three (Drew Nesbitt, Matt Lemay and Brian Churchill-Smith) competed on Monday. None made it to the sectional qualifier.

Full results.

More information on the event can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

No. 3 ranked Canadian course by U.S. Magazine Golfweek for courses built after 1960, and No. 11 on ScoreGolf’s 2016 list of Canadian golf courses.

Yardage: 7,037 yards, Par 72.

Rating/Slope: 74.8/148.

Opened in 1988 and designed by famed golf course architect Bob Cupp.

PHOTOS

Photos of the event will be made available on our Flickr page here.

Credit: (Golf Canada)

Team Canada National Squad member Hugo Bernard finished T9 at the Terra Cotta Invitational on Sunday at the Naples National Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Bernard, 22, saved his best effort for the final round of the 54-hole event, firing four birdies and an eagle en route to a 2-under par 70.

The Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., product closed the event at 3-over par (74-75-70), three shots back of winner Chris Nido, who beat John Pak on the first playoff hole.

The T9 marked a continuation of Bernard’s strong play of late. He and partner Mike Weeks won the Palm Beach County Four Ball at Bear Lakes Country Club from April 28-30, and he was T7 at the South American Amateur in January.

Bernard recently transferred to the Montreal Carabins, from Saint-Leo University (Division II NCAA). At Saint-Leo, Bernard was the NCAA Division II Freshman of the year, thanks to seven top-10 finishes.

Heading into the Terra Cotta Invitational, Bernard was ranked 129th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Blair Bursey (Gander, Newfoundland) finished T24 at 7-over par. Fellow Amateur Squad member Stuart MacDonald (Vancouver, B.C) was T28 at 8-over par.

Team Canada graduate and reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.) was T36 at 10-over par, while Development Squad pair of Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.) and A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C.) finished T49 and 60^th, respectively.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifying  gets underway May 9th at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria B.C., where players will be vying for a spot in the RBC Canadian Open final qualifying event, which takes place July 24th at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont.

Players need to finish among the top 15% of the field, including ties, in order to punch their ticket to the final qualifying event.

The 18-hole qualifier at Bear Mountain’s Valley Course is the first of three regional qualifiers taking place across the country. The second qualifier takes place May 15th at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont.,  with the third regional qualifier taking place June 5th at Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu on the Rouville Course in Sainte-Julie, Qué.

The qualifying competitions are open to members in good standing with the PGA of Canada or other PGA affiliates, amateur golfers with a current Handicap Factor not exceeding 2.0 who are members of Golf Canada or in good standing with their respective associations, as well as other golf professionals.

This is the second straight year Bear Mountain is playing host to a RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier. Last year, Comox, B.C.’s, Riley Wheeldon became the first Canadian to win a regional qualifying event in Western Canada since the two-stage qualification process for the RBC Canadian Open was reinstated in 2011. His 6-under-par 64 was a course record that gave him a one-shot victory. In total, seven players advanced to the final qualifier.

NOTABLES

Brad Clapp, Chilliwack, B.C.
The 30-year-old had two top-10s on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada last season. In 2015, he won the Great Waterway Classic and finished No. 12 on the Order of Merit.

Evan Holmes, Calgary (a)
The 22-year-old, just finished his fourth year of eligibility at the University of British Columbia. In the fall with UBC he won the 2016 Vikes Shootout at Cordova Bay Golf Course. Last summer he won the 2016 Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship

Brady Stead, Victoria, B.C.
The 23-year-old was 7th place at the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship and the low-amateur at the 2016 Vancouver Open. He was a 2015 CCAA National All-Canadian and the 2015 Pacwest Conference Player of the Year.

Nate Ollis, Victoria, B.C.
The 23-year-old was T9 at the BC Amateur Championship in 2016, T-68 at the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur and played university golf with the UBC Thunderbirds. He was T11 at the 2016 NAIA Men’s Championships and T7 at the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship.

Danny Sahl, Sherwood Park, Alta.
The 37-year-old had one top-20 on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2016 and was 111th on the Order of Merit. He was formerly Mike Weir’s caddy and has one career win on the Mackenize Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2011, at the Syncrude Boreal Open. He played golf at Kent State with Ben Curtis.

QUICK FACTS

The regional qualification process allows amateurs and professionals from across Canada and the world a chance to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open.

The low qualifier receives a direct exemption into the RBC Canadian Open if 100 players or more compete at a regional qualifier. If less than 100 people register for a regional qualifier, the top 15% of the field and ties beyond the low qualifier, advance to the final Monday qualifier.

This is the first time since the RBC Canadian Open two-stage qualifying process was reinstated that the western Canadian event has been held at the same location back- to-back years.

This year’s event marks the fifth time since 2011 that a regional qualifier has been held in BC (2012’s event was held in Alberta).

There are three players from the 2016 Camosun Chargers golf team competing at the event: Mike Flegel, Mac Keats and Matt Matheson.

Pairings and more information can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Bear Mountain’s Valley Course opened in 2009 and was designed by Nicklaus Design Group Inc. It measures 6,392 yards and is a par 71. The signature features of the course are elevated tee-boxes, large undulating greens and striking views of Vancouver Island.

Bear Mountain is the Official Training Center for Golf Canada’s Team Canada program.

Employees of Bear Mountain Resort recently donated $12,197 to the B.C Hospitality Foundation, which helps industry workers in financial crisis due to injury or illness, and offers industry-related scholarships to hospitality workers and their families

Bear Mountain Resort Community is located 20 minutes from downtown Victoria. In addition to golf the resort offers mountain biking, tennis and spa options.

Sei Young Kim held off Ariya Jutanugarn 1 up on Sunday to win the Lorena Ochoa Match Play for her sixth LPGA Tour title.

After Jutanugarn won the par-5 17th with a birdie to force another hole, Kim finished off the match with a halve for a par on the par-4 18th.

“It was a really tough day today,” Kim said. “I never had such a hard win like today. I am happy that I was able to win and hold this trophy.”

Though, that wasn’t easy.

“That trophy is really heavy,” Kim said. “When I held it, I felt pain.”

In the morning semifinals at Club de Golf Mexico, Kim beat Mi Jung Hur 5 and 4, and the third-ranked Jutanugarn topped Michelle Wie 4 and 3. Hur won the third-place match, overcoming a five-hole deficit to beat Wie in 22 holes.

Kim trailed for only four of the 95 holes she played, also beating Maude-Aimee Leblanc (3 and 1), Danielle Kang (3 and 2), Charley Hull (3 and 1) and Karine Icher (5 and 4) in the event that switched from stroke to match play and moved from November. The 24-year-old South Korean player is projected to jump from 12th to eighth in the world ranking.

Sei Young Kim talks about her 6th LPGA career win @LOYMEXICO and celebrating her victory with a margarita! pic.twitter.com/ffDDOMqAgT

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 7, 2017

Kim opened birdie-eagle-birdie to take a 3-up lead in the final.

“She is an aggressive player, even with the 3-up start, I was still very nervous and focused in making birdies,” Kim said. “I just kept playing as if I was 1 down.”

Jutanugarn, a five-time winner last year, won the par-5 10th with a birdie, Kim took the par-4 12th with a birdie, and Jutanugarn cut the deficit to two holes with a par win on the par-4 14th.

Kim missed a chance to win on the par-3 16th when her short birdie try lipped out. She then drove out of bounds to the right on the par-5 17th, and Jutanugarn took the hole with a 12-foot birdie putt.

“I had a problem with my ball-striking. It was really pushy,” Kim said. “That’s why it was going out of bounds. I tried to stay calm, but I really couldn’t. My hands were shaking, my legs were shaking too. It was really hard to keep calm.”

Both players had birdie tries from about 10 feet on the par-4 18th. Kim’s just brushed the hole, knocking her to her knees in disbelief, and Jutanugarn missed to end the match.

Wie had a 5-up lead over Hur after 10 holes. Hur took five of the next seven holes to tie it and won with a birdie on the 22nd hole.

“I was so frustrated with my game,” Hur said. “I played 36 holes on Saturday and today as well, my mind was trying to keep it up. My caddie kept saying positive things and trying to keep my focused.”

Wie is winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She won the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational in stroke play in 2009 in Guadalajara for her first tour title.

Kim knocked off friend Hur in the morning.

“We have a good relationship. We live in the same area in Dallas so we’ve had dinner a couple times,” Kim said. “It’s really tough to play against a close friend, but it is a tournament, so we forget about it and focus on the tournament.”

The full leaderboard can be seen here

Brian Harman a calé un roulé de 30 pieds pour un oiselet au dernier trou, ce qui lui a permis de remporter le Championnat Wells Fargo et de priver Dustin Johnson d’une quatrième victoire d’affilée.

Harman a raté une approche coupée à partir de l’arrière du vert au 18e trou, une normale-5, alors que sa balle a tout juste atteint le tapis. La table était mise pour une prolongation à trois avec Johnson et Pat Perez, mais Harman a fermé la porte avec un superbe roulé pour la victoire.

Il a remis une carte de 68 (moins-4) pour terminer le tournoi à moins-10 et mettre la main sur un deuxième titre en carrière sur le circuit de la PGA.

Johnson, qui s’était blessé au dos en chutant dans les escaliers avant le début du Tournoi des Maîtres, en avril, avait tout juste respecté le couperet. Il a enchaîné avec deux rondes de 67 au cours du week-end et il était en tête avant de voir Harman inscrire des oiselets à ses deux derniers trous.

Perez a bouclé sa ronde en 68 coups.

Nick Taylor, d’Abbotsford, en Colombie-Britannique, a inscrit un score de 71 pour conclure le tournoi à égalité au huitième rang à moins-6. Mackenzie Hughes, de Dundas, en Ontario, a joué 73 et a terminé à égalité au 31e rang à moins-2. Brad Fritsch, d’Ottawa, a bouclé sa ronde en 78 coups pour aboutir à égalité au 71e rang à plus-8.

Cliquez ici pour le classement complet

Brian Harman made a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Wells Fargo Championship and deny Dustin Johnson the chance at a fourth straight victory.

Johnson, in his return from a freak back injury that knocked the world’s No. 1 player out of the Masters, went from making the cut on the number to a 67-67 weekend at Eagle Point and appeared headed for a playoff with Harman and Pat Perez.

Harman won it with a birdie-birdie finish, none bigger than the par-5 18th.

After going so long on his second shot that he needed relief from behind a corporate tent, Harman hit a heavy chip that barely got onto the green. From just under 30 feet away, the putt dropped into the centre of the cup and set off a wild celebration, with Harman repeatedly shaking his fists and leaping to share a hard hug with his caddie, Scott Tway.

WOW!@HarmanBrian from LONG range.

We have a new leader … in dramatic fashion! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/0XMM5kcRo3

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 7, 2017

Harman closed with a 4-under 68 for his second PGA Tour victory.

“It’s surreal,” Harman said. “I three-putted that 15th hole, knew it was going to be tough to birdie those last couple. But I stuck to my game plan and just did it. Did the best I could.”

And it was just enough.

Johnson was playing for the first time in six weeks because of his slip down the stairs the day before the Masters that led to him pulling out. A quick start allowed him to lurk behind the leaders all day, and he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th that gave him a share of the lead.

Seeking his 4th straight (!) win.
72nd hole.
For birdie.
To tie the lead.

This is insane. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/nO3aGkKmuz

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 7, 2017

Then, he was alone in the lead when others started to stumble – Perez with a double bogey on No. 14, Harman with the three-putt bogey on the 15th and Patrick Reed, the 54-hole leader who made four bogeys in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.

Perez bounced back strong with birdies on the 16th and smart play on the 18th, taking on the water that runs along the right side of the hole and laying up to trust his short game. He hit a pitch up the slope to 4 feet for birdie and a 68.

Perez headed upstairs to the clubhouse to hang out with Johnson, and when Harman left himself a long birdie chance on the 18th, they were gearing up for a playoff. And then they weren’t.

Canadian Nick Taylor finished T8 at 6-under par, his second top-10 finish of the season. His first was a T10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Taylor was under par in all four rounds this weekend.

Jon Rahm of Spain, one of five players who had at least a share of the lead on the back nine, was the last player with a chance if he were to make eagle on the final hole, like he did when he won at Torrey Pines in January. But his approach sailed over the green, and his chip never had a chance.

Rahm closed with a par for a 71 to finish alone in fourth.

Reed shot 40 on the back nine for a 75 and fell out of the top 10. He played in the final group with Alex Noren of Sweden, who closed with a 77.

Harman’s only other victory was the John Deere Classic in 2014 that sent him to the British Open. This victory gets him back to the Masters, which he has played only one time, along with other perks of winning.

Johnson watched someone else leave with the trophy for the first time since Feb. 12, when he finished third behind Jordan Spieth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Johnson ran off three straight victories against the strongest fields of the year to date, including a pair of World Golf Championships.

And then came the mishap at the Masters, when he suffered a deep bruise on his lower back from the tumble down the stairs while still wearing only socks. This was his first time playing in six weeks, and while there were signs of rust, he looked like the same old Johnson over the weekend as he tried to make up ground and almost did.

“I didn’t have a lot of time off, so I didn’t really know what to expect this week because I didn’t really get to practice leading into this tournament, either,” Johnson said. “Not much has changed. The first couple days I didn’t play that great, but really played nicely on Saturday and Sunday and so I’m happy with where the game is going into next week.”

Johnson had three birdies in six holes to lurk behind the leaders the rest of the day, and he kept pace with birdies on the 12th and 13th. His second shot on the par-5 12th hit the front of the green and was rolling back toward the water, stopping 8 inches away. He got up-and-down for birdie, the kind of break winners need.

Harman had other ideas.

The full leaderboard can be seen here here.

Canadian Adam Svensson, of Surrey, B.C fell short in his bid for his first Web.com Tour victory Sunday, finishing T6 at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.

Svensson finished at 17-under, three shots back of winner Nate Lashley. Svensson’s T6 finish is his best ever result on the Web.com Tour.

His top finish prior to this weekend was a T9 at the 2016 LECOM Heath Challenge.

Svensson birdied the first hole to move into a tie for the lead, but didn’t make another until the 12th hole, recording 10 straight pars.

Svensson had a 30-foot try from off the green on 9 for birdie, pushed it. Another par. Needs to make a big charge on the back nine. May 7, 2017

After another birdie on 15, he was two shots back at 18-under. That was as close as he got, before bogeying the par-3 17th.

This is Svensson’s third career top-10 finish on the Web.com Tour.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Patrick Reed birdied his final two holes for a 5-under 67 to surge into the lead Saturday at the Wells Fargo Championship, but not by much.

With one round remaining at Eagle Point, the tournament remains wide open, even for Dustin Johnson.

Reed stuffed a short iron into 4 feet on No. 17 and reached the 580-yard 18th hole in two for a two-putt birdie, giving him a one-shot lead over John Rahm of Spain and Alex Noren of Sweden.

Reed reels one back and now he’s 1 back!#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/5gYiDmyerg

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 6, 2017

Noren missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would have tied Reed at 8-under. Noren and Rahm each shot 69.

Seventeen players were within four shots of the lead. That includes Phil Mickelson (69) and Johnson, who had a 67 despite missing a half-dozen chances from inside 15 feet on pure greens. Mickelson and Johnson are both 4-under.

Canadian Nick Taylor sits T8 after a 1-under round of 71. He started strong on the front nine pouring in two birdies and no bogeys.

On the back nine, Taylor was up-and-down, recording three birdies and two bogeys. He’s three strokes behind Reed. Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes is T19 at 3-under.

The second-round was finished this morning due to a three-hour rain delay Friday. 36-hole leader Franceso Molinari is part of a group of four at 6-under.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Michelle Wie rallied to beat Angel Yin on Saturday in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play to join Ariya Jutanugarn, Sei Young Kim and Mi Jung Hur in the semifinals.

Four down after 11 holes at Club Golf Mexico, Wie twice rallied to tie the long-hitting Yin and won with a birdie on the par-5 20th hole.

“I think it was the definition of survival out there,” Wie said. “She played so good. She eagled two and six. I think she was 5 under in seven holes. She played great. I’m really proud of my caddie for motivating me and keeping me in my head. And we fought so hard out there.”

Match 59:@themichellewie makes birdie to defeat @angelyinlol after 20 holes & advance to the Semifinals @LOYMEXICO #WieVSYin #LOYCDMX pic.twitter.com/TtGs2ZKDHn

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 6, 2017

Wie set up a match against Kim, a 5-and-4 winner over Karine Icher in the event that switched from stroke to match play and moved from November.

Wie is winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She won the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational in stroke play in 2009 in Guadalajara for her first tour title.

The third-ranked Jutanugarn lost a 3-up lead to Cristie Kerr before finishing off the 39-year-old American with a par on the 19th hole. Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura last week on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

“The greens here are really hard to read, the speed, everything,” Jutanugarn said. “Cristie hit some really good putts, but they just didn’t go in. … My tee shot was pretty good all day, I just have to work on my putting.”

Hur had two 1-up victories, knocking off top-ranked Lydia Ko in the round of 16 in the morning and edging Shanshan Feng 1 up in the afternoon.

Yin had a 4-up lead after seven holes, and that was the margin after her birdie win on the par-5 11th. Wie won four of the next five holes – two with birdies, and two with pars – to tie it. Yin rebounded to win the par-5 17th, and Wie took the par-4 18th with a par to force extra holes.

“I knew how quickly things could end, so I just kind fought through,” Wie said.

The 19-year-old Yin, from Arcadia, California, is an LPGA Tour rookie after playing last season on the Ladies European Tour.

In the round of 16 in the morning, Wie topped Marina Alex 5 and 4; Yin beat Sandra Gal 3 and 2; Jutanugarn defeated Pernilla Lindberg 5 and 3; Kim edged Charley Hull 3 and 1; Feng beat Canadian Brooke Henderson 1 up; Icher topped Angela Stanford 1 up; and Kerr knocked out Cydney Clanton 3 and 2.

Ko advanced far enough in the tournament to keep the No. 1 ranking.

“I was struggling with ball-striking today and I was not good with my putt, either,” Ko said. “So, those two combinations, it was obviously not very good.”

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012. Tomorrow morning’s semi-final matches are listed below.

5 Mi Yung Hur KOR vs. 2 Sei Young Kim KOR

1 Ariya Jutanugarn THA vs. 9 Michelle Wie USA

The consolation match will tee-off at 12:30 CT and the championship match at 12:45 CT.

The full leaderboard can be viewed here