LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Stephanie Kono, who played four playoff holes in the morning to qualify for match play, eliminated stroke-play medalist Tiffany Lua from the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links on Wednesday night.
Kono beat Lua 3 & 1 at Kearney Hill Golf Links. It was the first time in five years the stroke-play winner failed to advance out of the first round of match play at the Women's Publinx.
Other first-round winners included defending champion Tiffany Joh, U.S. Women's Amateur champion Kimberly Kim, and two-time NCAA player of the year Amanda Blumenherst.
The 17-year-old Kono, from Honolulu, is competing in her 11th USGA championship and fourth Public Links. She came out at 7:30 a.m. for an 8-for-5 playoff to determine the last spots in match play. At the fourth extra hole, she made a 9-foot birdie putt to eliminate Alexandra Phelps of Albuquerque, N.M.
She continued that momentum into her match against Lua, a former teammate on last year's West Squad for the Canon Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event run by the American Junior Golf Association.
"It was an exciting match," Kono said. "I haven't won too many matches being the underdog or being the lower-seeded (player). This is big for me because this is probably the first time I've ever really won being the underdog. But today, I just tried to play steady."
The key stretch came at holes seven through nine. All square going to the par-5 seventh, Lua hit her tee shot in the rough and failed to get up and down for par. Kono stuck her fourth shot within four feet and made the par putt for a 1-up lead.
At the par-3 eighth hole, Kono chipped in from 30 feet for birdie and a 2-up advantage. Another winning par at nine pushed the lead to 3 up.
"In stroke play, I was able to get some easy lies out of (the rough)," said Lua, who has qualified for next week's U.S. Women's Open. "And today it was kind of tough. That always makes it harder. I just had a hard time getting out of the rough today. That's where I lost all my strokes."
The Women's Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Wednesday's first-round match-play results:
--Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, def. Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif., 3 & 1
--Felicia Espericueta, Edinburg, Texas, def. Amber Littman, Stoney Creek, N.C., 4 & 3
--Elizabeth Dotson, White Bluff, Tenn., def. Amanda Costner, Edmond, Okla., 4 & 3
--Pamela Ontiveros, Mexico, def. Tzu-Chi Lin, China, 1-up
--Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif., def. Ana Imelda Tanpinco, Philippines, 4 & 3
--Selanee Henderson, Apple Valley, Calif., def. Candace Schepperle, Auburn, Ala., 1-up
--Shanshan Feng, Hilton Head Island, S.C., vs. Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y., 7 & 6
--Katie Kempter, Albuquerque, N.M., def. Aurora Kan, Boothwyn, Pa., 3 & 1
--Wonjoo Choi, Korea, def. Britney Choy, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 2-up
--Ashlee Rose, Nicholasville, Ky., def. Dana Je, Columbus, Ohio, 2 & 1
--Jane Chin, Huntington Beach, Calif., def. Krista Burton, Jamestown, Ky., 5 & 4
--Kate Ackerson, Allen, Texas, def. Courtney Mahon, Kansas City, Mo., 2 & 1
--Ha-Na Jang, Korea, def. Hillery Wilson, Hudson, Ohio, 1-up
--Emily Powers, Quincy, Ill., def. Miki Ueoka, Lihue, Hawaii, 19 holes
--Mari Chun, Pearl City, Hawaii, def. Juli Wightman-Erekson, Chicopee, Mass., 19 holes
--Ryann O'Toole, San Clemente, Calif., def. Courtney Gunter, Matthews, N.C., 3 & 2
--Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii, def. Yu Lee, Orlando, Fla., 5 & 3
--Tonya Choate, Mt. Vernon, Mo., def. Lee Lopez, Whittier, Calif., 5 & 4
--Aimee Neff, Carmel, Ind., def. Xyra Suyetsugu, Honolulu, Hawaii, 4 & 2
--Tiffany Joh, San Diego, (145) def. Mia Kabasakalis, Alameda, Calif., 3 & 2
--Angela Oh, Maple Shade, N.J., def. Laura Luethke, Fresno, Calif., 4 & 3
--Kristen Schelling, Mesa, Ariz., def. Kristina Merkle, Honolulu, 3 & 2
--Christine Song, Fullerton, Calif., def. Marie Dhel Dela Paz, Philippines, 4 & 2
--Michelle Shin, Cape Coral, Fla., def. Kimberly Johnson, San Diego, 1-up
--Marci Turner, Tompkinsville, Ky., def. Jordyn Wells, Bethel Park, Pa., 4 & 3
--Brianna Do, Long Beach, Calif., def. Marina Martinez, Modesto, Calif., 5 & 4
--Kayla Mortellaro, Phoenix, def. Ashley Mylton, Charlotte, N.C., 5 & 4
--RemiJin Camping, Miami, Fla., def. Mary Mattson, Ijamsville, Md., 4 & 3
--Glory Jooyoung Yang, Korea, def. Julia Huh, Pasadena, Md., 2 and 1
--Stephany Fleet, Dewitt, Mich., def. Alexandra Bodemann, Palm City, Fla., 3 & 2
--Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz., def. Carly Werwie, Kenosha, Wis., 5 & 3
--Sara Brown, Tucson, Ariz., def. Erica Moston, Belmont, Calif., 1-up
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
