Ewing’s birdie on 18 ousts Kang in Match Play quarterfinals

The LPGA is calling the weekend matches at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play the knockout rounds. That’s only fitting, given the equivalent of a heavyweight title fight put on Saturday afternoon by Ally Ewing and Danielle Kang.

The two American stars went back and forth down the stretch, combining for seven birdies on the back nine. But it was Ewing’s final birdie on the 18th hole at Shadow Creek that sealed a 1-up victory and a place in Sunday’s semifinals.

“It was a grind,” Ewing said. “I mean, Danielle is a competitor. I knew it was going to be a match from the start.”

Next up for Ewing is Ariya Jutanagarn, who dominated Minjee Lee 5 and 4. The other semifinal will feature Sophia Popov, a 3-and-2 winner over Patty Tavatanatik, and Shanshan Feng, who went 19 holes with Eun-Hee Ji.

Ewing found herself in a hole almost immediately against Kang, going 2 down after three holes. But she holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle on No. 4, then rolled in a 12-footer for birdie on No. 5 to get back to all square.

Then the battle began.

Ewing took her first lead with a birdie on No. 14, the first time Kang had trailed in a match all week. Kang responded with a birdie on 15, then Ewing answered with a birdie on 16, and Kang did the same on No. 17, setting up the drama on the finishing hole.

Ewing bombed a drive down the left side of the fairway, then left her second shot in the rough below the hole. She chipped it to 5 feet and made a slider for the win.

“I didn’t have a gimme there, but I rolled it in,” she said. “I knew if I gave Danielle any open door she would capitalize, like she did all day.”

That putt ended Kang’s dream of winning the inaugural event on her home course. But she can hardly walk away disappointed after shooting a 6-under 66 in the quarterfinals on a course where pars have been winning holes and matches.

“I played well today, and Ally played really well, so it wasn’t like she gave it away or I gave it away. She won the match,” Kang said. “I came down the stretch, did everything I could. It’s hard.”

Ewing has been a master escape artist. On Friday, she birdied the final two holes to beat Jennifer Kupcho to earn her spot in weekend play. Saturday morning, she birdied the 18th to catch Jenny Coleman before winning the match on the first extra hole.

“I’ve always thought of myself to be a very gritty, competitive person,” she said. “My husband knows it really well. My friends know it really well. If it’s the simplest things, I want to win. I certainly bring that to the golf course as well.”

Popov showed her own grit Saturday, beating No. 2 seed Inbee Park in the morning in 20 holes. She fought back from 3-down in that match and made eagle on the 18th hole to force the issue.

In the afternoon, she never trailed against Tavatanatik, who had been playing some of the best golf all week and all spring.

“I think with Inbee, that was some of the best golf I’ve played this year,” said Popov, who called that match a battle but her quarterfinal win stress-free.

While many of the players are fighting exhaustion from playing so much in the heat, Popov seems to have more bounce in her step.

“My attitude is I work for these days,” she said. “I work really hard with my trainer, Andrew Hannon, and he’s just been for the last four years trying to create exactly the person I was today.”

While Popov appears energized, her semifinal opponent, Jutanugarn, said she was anything but, calling herself “role-model tired.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m really tired right now,” Jutanugarn said. She claimed to have gotten only two hours of sleep Friday night.

But at least Jutanugarn got through her two matches in just 29 holes. Feng, on the other hand, played 41, the most she has ever played in a single day.

“Such a long day,” Feng lamented.

Another 36 holes await on Sunday.

Greg Robertson is a freelance reporter who covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at robertsongt@gmail.com.