Booth Reaches Semifinals, but Kung Is Eliminated

Kellee Booth of Coto de Caza won twice Thursday to advance to the semifinals and Candie Kung of Fountain Valley was eliminated at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship at the Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C.

Booth, the nation’s top-ranked amateur, had to rally for the third time in four matches after falling two holes behind in the early stages against Stanford’s Stephanie Keever in the quarterfinal round.

Booth made three straight birdies begininng on No. 8--missing a hole-in-one on No. 9 by inches--to pull even.

Booth went 2-up with another birdie at the par-5 13th and closed out Keever with a 20-foot par putt on the 17th to win, 2 and 1. Booth beat Rebecca Stevenson of Australia, 4 and 2, in her morning match.

“I don’t feel any pressure being expected to win,” said Booth, who had nine birdies in her two victories. “I’ve just been playing really well so I guess people expect me to win. I’m going to try to keep the momentum going.”

Booth’s best finish in five previous Amateurs was the round of eight in 1995 and 1996. She was the medalist last year but was bounced in the third round.

Booth’s semifinal opponent is Dorothy Delasin of Daly City, who beat Jennifer Hubbard of Plano, Texas, 2 and 1. Delasin earlier beat Kung, 4 and 3.