‘Eldest Sister’ Jieunhee "Advances to Finals"... Opponent is ‘Rookie’ Furue

In Bank of Hope Match Play Semifinals, Lee Dominates by '4-Hole Margin', Furuedobu Defeats by '3-Hole Margin'

Ji Eun-hee is teeing off at the 14th hole in the Bank of Hope Match Play semifinal. Las Vegas, USA ? Photo by Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The 'eldest sister' Ji Eun-hee (36, Hanwha Q CELLS) has advanced to the final.

On the 30th (Korean time), at the Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (par 72, 6,777 yards), Ji Eun-hee defeated Andrea Lee (USA) by 4 holes in the semifinals of the LPGA Tour Bank of Hope Match Play (total prize money $1.5 million). After advancing through the group stage with 2 wins and 1 draw, she consecutively defeated Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) in the round of 16, Madelene Saxstr?m (Sweden) in the quarterfinals, and Lee in the semifinals.

The tournament is structured like the FIFA World Cup, with 64 players divided into 16 groups, and the top player from each group advancing to the round of 16, where the winner is decided through one-on-one match play. Ji Eun-hee won the 1st hole (par 4), then lost the 2nd and 5th holes, falling behind by 1 hole. However, she won the 6th hole (par 4) to even the match, then secured victories on the 9th and 13th to 15th holes to close out the match. Although there were no birdies in the 15 holes, Lee faltered on her own, allowing Ji Eun-hee to easily reach the final stage.

Ji Eun-hee is a veteran who joined the LPGA Tour in 2007 and has accumulated 5 wins including one major title. In January 2019, she won the Tournament of Champions at the age of 32 years and 8 months, breaking the record for the oldest Korean winner previously held by Park Se-ri (45, retired) at 32 years, 7 months, and 18 days. Ji Eun-hee expressed confidence, saying, "The wind direction was opposite to yesterday," and "I am fully prepared to challenge for the championship."

Ayaka Furue is walking on the green of the 13th hole in the Bank of Hope Match Play semifinals. Las Vegas, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

In the other semifinal, Ayaka Furue (Japan) edged out Lilia Vu (USA) by 3 holes. Although she started shakily by losing the 2nd hole (par 5), she turned the match around by winning the 3rd to 5th holes consecutively. She then took one hole each at the 11th and 12th holes (both par 4), and sealed her place in the final by winning the 17th hole (par 3). Furue is a rookie who debuted on the US stage this year after finishing 7th in last year's LPGA Q-Series. She has accumulated 7 wins on the LPGA of Japan Tour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.