The quarterfinal matches at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards are complete, and each of the four matchups on Saturday morning at Shadow Creek were all thrilling in their own right. Ultimately, Leona Maguire, Sei Young Kim, Narin An and Nelly Korda will play the afternoon in Las Vegas as all work to come up big with a $300,000 first-place prize up for grabs in Sin City.
Take a look at how the quarterfinals played out at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards:
Match 1 – Leona Maguire def. Moriya Jutanugarn 4 and 3
Maguire won the first hole with a par to go 1 up early on Jutanugarn, never relinquishing the lead throughout the entire match. She made a birdie on the par-4 3rd to move to 2 up, but Jutanugarn then won the fourth hole to get back to 1 down. The Irishwoman recovered immediately, winning No. 5 with a par to again have a 2-up advantage with 13 holes to play and then won the par-3 8th hole to get to 3 up. Maguire collected back-to-back victories on holes 11 and 12 to move five ahead of Jutanugarn with six holes to go, and while the Thailand native tried her best to make a late charge after winning with a par on 14, Maguire ultimately closed out the match on 15 to win 4 and 3, advancing to the semifinals.
Match 2 – Sei Young Kim def. Rose Zhang 6 and 5
Kim blitzed Zhang right out of the gate at Shadow Creek, winning the first three holes to immediately go 3 up. The pair tied on the fourth hole, and Kim once again threw a one-two punch at Zhang on holes five and six, now 5 up on the Mizuho Americas Open winner with 12 holes to play. Zhang won her only hole of the match with a birdie on the par-5 7th hole to get back to 4 down, and after tying Kim on holes eight and nine, she lost the par-4 10th hole, now five down with eight holes to go. Kim and Zhang tied 11 and 12, and it was a Kim birdie on the par-3 13th hole that ultimately spelled the end for Zhang, who fell 6 and 5 to the major champion.
Match 3 – Narin An def. Minami Katsu 1up
The grittiest match of Saturday morning at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards saw An and Katsu tie holes one and two before An struck first with a par on No. 3 to go 1 up. Katsu quickly answered, winning the fourth to tie the match and flipping it with a victory on No. 5, now sitting at 1 up with 13 holes to play. Undeterred, Republic of Korea native An imitated her Japanese counterpart on the next two holes, tying the match with a win on the No. 6 and then grabbing a birdie on the par-5 7th hole to go 1 up. Katsu then won the ninth to square things back up, and the pair tied holes 10 and 11 before An won 12 and 13 to take a 2-up lead to the final five holes. Katsu fought back hard, winning 14 and 16 to tie the match once again with two holes left at Shadow Creek, but An came up clutch with a birdie on the par-3 17th hole and won the match 1 up after tying Katsu on No. 18.
Match 4 – Nelly Korda def. Angel Yin 3 and 2
Two Solheim Cup teammates faced off in match four as Yin and Korda went head-to-head in search of a semifinal berth in Las Vegas. Korda threw the first punch, making birdie on the par-4 2nd hole to go 1 up early, but Yin squared the match with a birdie of her own on the par-5 4th hole. Korda then moved two ahead after winning back-to-back holes on Nos. 6 and 7, and that was the way things stayed until the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 won another hole, parring the 12th to go 3 up on Yin. The Buick LPGA Shanghai winner made an attempt at a late rally, winning the par-4 15th hole with a birdie to get back to 2 down, but Korda dashed Yin’s hopes with a birdie on the par-5 16th hole to end the match 3 and 2, advancing to the Saturday afternoon semifinals.
Semifinal Tee Times
Match 5, 4:40 p.m. ET – Leona Maguire vs. Sei Young Kim
Match 6, 4:55 p.m. ET – Nelly Korda vs. Narin An
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