Torrid Voorhees Advances to Final in U.S. Amateur

The billing for today’s final round of the United States Women’s Amateur golf championship could read, “hot hand meets hot hand in the heat.”

Heidi Voorhees of Studio City, a 1990 graduate of Notre Dame High who currently plays at USC, easily defeated two opponents Friday to advance to today’s 36-hole final against Amy Fruhwirth of Phoenix at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.

Fruhwirth won medalist honors with rounds of 72-72 earlier this week at Prairie Dunes, where the weather has been alternately hot and unseasonably cold.

The temperature, which dropped to about 80 degrees Friday after several days at 100-plus degrees, was the only thing that could possibly cool the red-hot Voorhees.

“I even had to buy a sweater,” Voorhees said. “I started in a sleeveless (blouse) and it got kind of cool.”

She cooled the heels of both of her opponents Friday. Voorhees beat Anne Marie Tobin of Lynnfield, Mass., 7 and 6, in the fourth round Friday morning. She then defeated Martha Lang of Geneva, Ill., 3 and 2, to reach the finals.

Voorhees, who will be a sophomore at USC in the fall, was one-over par when the match against Tobin ended after 12 holes and was at even par when the match against Lang ended after 16 holes.

Voorhees, who won’t turn 19 until Aug. 20, will be giving away several years of experience to Fruhwirth, 23, an Arizona State graduate against whom Voorhees never has played.

“I remember watching her play in junior tournaments when I was kind of little,” Voorhees said. “She’s a very good player.”

A good player who, like Voorhees, is on a roll.

Fruhwirth defeated Carri Wood of South Dennis, Mass., 2 and 1, in the fourth round, then trounced Martha Leach of Austin, Tex., 7 and 6, in the semifinals.