Pressel just missed out on back to back wins at the North and South and back to back wins in successive weeks coming off of her victory at the U.S. Amateur. Pressel was attempting to duplicate Meredith Duncan when she won the North and South and the U.S. Amateur in the same summer in 2001.

Tseng began the afternoon round with a 2 up lead. Pressel reduced the lead to 1 up at the 20th with a birdie, but Tseng got that hole back at the 22nd and then increased her lead with another birdie win at the 24th. Pressel erased the 3 down deficit by winning the 25th, 26th, and 27th holes to square the match. Tseng regained the lead again at the 28th with a birdie four. The margin remained the same with pars halving the next five holes. Like she did in yesterday’s semifinal match, Pressel was forced to come from behind in the last three holes. The #1 ranked amateur did so with flair as she eagled the par five 34th hole to again pull all square. The 35th was halved with pars forcing the 36th hole. On the 36th, Tseng’s approach shot trickled off the back of the Donald Ross green. Pressel’s approach came up 20 feet short below the hole. From behind the green, Tseng used her putter to leave herself with a four-foot par attempt. Pressel’s birdie bid for the win slid by the hole and her par conceded. The 16 year old Tseng calmly stroked her par putt in for the halve forcing extra holes. In the afternoon round, Pressel recorded a six under 67 medal score and Tseng recorded a five under 65.

The 37th and 38th holes were halved with two-putt pars. On the 39th, Pressel’s approach shot came to rest in the front left bunker. Tseng’s approach found the green some 30 feet from the hole. Pressel’s bunker shot came to rest nine feet from the hole. Tseng’s birdie putt missed and finished two feet from the hole. Pressel’s par attempt slid the hole and her bogey conceded. Tseng again calmly knocked in her short par putt for the win.

This is Tseng’s second major amateur title. Last summer Tseng won the Women’s Amateur Public Links defeating Michelle Wie on the 36th hole. Ya-Ni Tseng overcame a 3 down deficit in the morning round to hold a 2 up advantage at the lunch time break. Morgan Pressel started early with a win at the first. She held that lead until the 8th and 9th where she won consecutive holes with birdies to bolster her lead to 3 up through the first nine holes. Tseng quickly answered by winning the 10th, 11th, and 12th holes to pull all square. On the 10th Tseng made an eight-foot birdie putt. On the 11th, Pressel three-putted to lose and on the 12th Tseng made a five-foot birdie putt to pull all square. Tseng was not done winning holes. On the 14th she two-putted for par while Pressel was unable to get up and down from behind the green. On the 16th, Pressel was unable to get up and down for birdie from in front of the green, while Tseng two-putted for birdie for the win. Tseng missed two more birdie opportunities from within 10 feet on the 17th and 18th holes.

In the morning round, Pressel carded an even par 73 while Tseng shot a two under par 71 including a three under par 33 on the homeward half.

For complete Match Play tree results, click on the tournament link above (amateurgolf.com membership requested).