June 20, 2002

BLUEFIELD, Va. – University of South Carolina rising senior women’s golfer Kristy McPherson crushed Heather Angell, 6 and 4, Thursday in match play to advance to the round of 16 at the 102nd-Annual Women’s Western Amateur Championship at the Fincastle Country Club. McPherson takes on Kristin Dufour in Thursday’s second round of match play for the right to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.

McPherson qualified for the match-play championships after finishing ninth (being seeded 11th) in the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying round with a four-over 146. She opened match play Wednesday by defeating Mina Hardin, 6 and 5. The Conway, S.C., native and two-time first-team All-American has breezed through her first two matches, downing Hardin by six holes with the match being suspended with five holes to play, and taking care of Angell by six holes with four holes remaining.

The Women’s Western Amateur Championship is the longest-running amateur tournament in the country and is administered by the Women’s Western Golf Association. LSU’s Meredith Duncan is the two-time defending champion of the tournament.