Angel Yin advances to U.S. Girls’ Junior championship match

Angel Yin of Arcadia has a chance to win the biggest prize of her life when she plays Eun Jeong Seong in the final match of U.S. Girls’ Junior golf championship on Sunday in Tulsa, Okla.

Yin made a remarkable comeback against Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach in the quarterfinals Friday morning. Yin was four holes down heading to the eighth tee. She squared the match by winning the 17th hole and then earned the victory with a birdie at No. 18.

Yin later told reporters that she understood Lee’s disappointment but was ecstatic with her own rally.

“She was 4 up at one point and just kept that to the back nine, and then losing like that -- I mean, I’ve felt that before too,” Yin said of Lee. “So I know what she’s going through and I feel bad, but happy at the same time -- which is really mixed feelings.”

Yin then defeated Mexico’s Evelyn Arguelles, 1 up, Friday afternoon to advance to the final. Yin held a 3-up lead at one point in the match.

The Californian, who is No. 8 in the world amateur rankings and won the prestigious AJGA Annika Invitational in February, said she was “really stressed out” heading to the 18th tee in the semifinals Friday.

“I told myself, I just need to get a par,” Yin said. “I would get it, but I didn’t make life easy at all. I was shivering all over my body. It felt good because making those putts, like clutch putts, it makes you feel good.”

Seong, a 15-year-old from South Korea who is ranked No. 41 in the world, had a much easier path to the championship match. She defeated Jayna Choi of Collierville, Tenn., 6 and 4, in the semifinals after she beat Canada’s Naomi Ko, 4 and 3, in the quarterfinals.

Wire and Internet reports contributed to this story.