In the match of the championship thus far, four- time champion Meghan Stasi, 38, of Oakland Park, Fla., earned a hard-fought 2-up win over Emilie Meason, 25, of Atlanta, Ga. In a Round-of-16 match that featured a combined 10 birdies – including five winning birdies over the opening eight holes – it was Stasi’s 24- footer on the par-3 15th that proved to be the decisive stroke.
“(Emilie) was getting up and down from everywhere,” said Stasi, who previously took the title in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012. “I’m not getting down on myself, so I knew at some point I was going to make a putt. It just snuck in there.” Should she take the title on Thursday, Stasi would become the first five-time U.S. Women’s Mid- Amateur winner, and would join only JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Carolyn Cudone, Bob Jones and Glenna Collett Vare as five-time winners of the same USGA championship. Stasi, however, refused to look too far ahead at the historic possibility. “I’ve been in the same situation the last few years and you’ve just got to keep fighting,” said Stasi, who eliminated Carmen Titus by a 7-and-5 margin in Tuesday morning’s Round of 32. Stasi’s quarterfinal opponent will be Patricia Schremmer, at age 51 the championship’s oldest remaining competitor. Schremmer, of Honolulu, Hawaii, notched a 5-and-4 win over Renata Young in the Round of 32, and knocked off 2015 semifinalist Christina Proteau, 2 and 1, in the Round of 16. “To be this far is really a treat,” said Schremmer, a reinstated amateur who now travels the world with her three daughters, who compete in international surfing competitions. “I love this game. I don’t get to compete much, so I’m just taking advantage of getting to play another day.” Past champions Julia Potter and Margaret Shirley- Starosto joined Stasi in the quarterfinals. Potter, the 2013 champion and 2014 runner-up, needed a marathon 19 holes in the Round of 32 to eliminate Audrey Akins. Potter’s Round-of-16 match with 2015 semifinalist Whitney Britton, however, got off to a very different start. Potter birdied the par-3 11th for a 6- up lead, but Britton promptly carded birdies of her own at holes 12 and 13 to pull within striking distance. "[Whitney] is a really long hitter, so I knew she was going to be able to hit No. 12 in two and I have not been able to do that,” said Potter, who ultimately earned the 4-and-3 victory over Britton. “What was really big for me was making that putt on 11, because I felt that if I was able to get to 6 up, that just in case I did lose 12, 13, 14 … I would still give myself a good setup for the final holes." Potter’s quarterfinal opponent will be Katie Miller, 31, of Jeannette, Pa. Miller, the last remaining Pennsylvanian in the field, needed all 18 holes in her 1- up win over Kristyl Sunderman in the Round of 32, but she handily beat 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Martha Leach, 7 and 5, in the Round of 16.No. 1 Shannon Johnson vs. No. 8 Margaret Shirley- Starosto (8:00 a.m.) No. 13 Olivia Herrick vs. No. 12 Amanda Jacobs (8:10 a.m.) No. 2 Julia Potter vs. No. 10 Katie Miller (8:20 a.m.) No. 51 Patricia Schremmer vs. No. 6 Meghan Stasi (8:30 a.m.)