Sara Im of Duluth reached the semifinal round of the 73rd U.S. Girls’ Junior at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Ky., before being eliminated 3 and 2 on Friday by Yana Wilson of Henderson, Nev., a two-time National Drive, Chip and Putt champion.
Im was up by two holes after winning No. 2 with a par and No. 6 with a birdie, but Wilson responded with back-to-back birdies at No. 7 and 8 and the match was even through nine holes. Wilson took a two-hole advantage by winning the 11th and 12th holes and closed the match with a birdie on the 16th.
Im qualified as the No. 18 seed by shooting 73-72 in stroke play. Im defeated Reagan Southerland, who attends Atlanta’s Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, 3 and 1 in the first round, eliminated Katie Li of New Jersey 3 and 2 in the second round, and beat Grace Kilcrease of Arkansas 3 and 2 in the third round. Im defeated Fion Xi of New Zealand 1 up in the quarterfinals earlier Friday.
Im is a rising senior at Lambert High School and the AJC’s 2022 Girls High School Golfer of the Year. She won the 2020 Georgia Amateur championship, qualified for the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and teamed up with Lilburn’s Thienna Huynh to win the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship earlier this spring.
