Top Seeds Yen, Young Headline Semifinalists in Oklahoma

Oregon natives Natalie Yen, of West Linn, and Asia Young, from Bend, advanced to the semifinals of the 10th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with a 4-and-2 win over sisters Kate and Meg Tilma, of Wichita, Kan., in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. 

The duo opened the marathon day with a dominant 6-and-4 win over Michelle Ho and Michelle Woo, carding six birdies over the 14-hole contest. Yen, a 2025 Texas A&M signee, and Young, still a 16-year-old high school junior who has yet to commit to a college, rode that momentum into the afternoon, getting out to an early 3-up lead in the quarterfinals. The Tilma sisters trimmed their deficit to 2-down on the 12th hole, but the Oregon pair quickly answered back with Young sinking a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th.  
 
“I hit a really good drive,” said Young. “[My partner] made sure we were on the green, and we had a definite par or birdie look. Then I was able to hit a really good wood in, because I knew my partner was in close, and then converted the putt.”  
 
Yen and Young never looked back, closing out the match with a birdie on No. 16. The two rolled on what was the windiest day of the week, netting 10 total birdies across both matches.  
 
“A big component was staying loose in between [rounds], because it's a long day,” said Young. “You’ve got to be really patient out there. We played rock, paper, scissors like a million times, so that was fun.”   
 
The co-medalists and top seeds will look to continue their success in Wednesday’s semifinals, where they will face Southern Californians Fay Jia, 15, of Murrieta, and Cherry Zhang, 16, of Rancho Cucamonga. Following a back-and-forth battle against sisters Chloe and Faith Johnson, Zhang closed the door on their 1-up quarterfinal victory, walking in a 30-foot birdie putt moments after Johnson had drained a 40-footer for par.  

“It was emotional, and I was the only one on the green,” said Zhang. “It was so long. And [Johnson] made her par putt from so long … My dad just said that whatever is going to happen is going to happen. So, I walked that putt in, which was, wow.”

The other co-medalist side and No. 2 seeds Jasmine and Janae Leovao were less fortunate in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. The 21-year-old twins from Oceanside, Calif., fell to 17-year-old Florida teammates Sophia Dyer, of St. Petersburg, and Bella Dovhey, of Orlando, in 21 holes. 

Dyer and Dovhey, who met through the PGA Junior League and are competing in the championship for the first time, trailed 1 down twice in the match, after holes 2 and 6. A birdie on the par-4 11th would tie the match for a second time following a two-putt par from Dovhey,, a verbal commit to the University of Miami. The teens took their first lead two holes later on the par-5 13th thanks to a second two-putt – this time from Dyer and for birdie.  

Despite relinquishing their lead after a birdie-4 from the twins on No. 16, Dyer’s putter stayed hot until the very end. When the two sides reached the 21st hole, the par-3 third, Dyer hit her tee shot to 30 feet, sinking the putt and punching the side’s tickets to the semifinals. 

“I was aiming almost sideways,” said Dyer, who has verbally committed to the University of Florida. “It was really just a feel [putt]. I'm feeling so good on these greens after, what, 38 holes or something… I was pretty warm. It was really just trusting the line, and I saw it and it went in.”

Teeing off in the final match of the afternoon, Kentucky duo Athena Singh and Kiera Yun secured a 3-and-2 victory over Arizonans Anya Mathur and Ailis Tribolet, of Scottsdale and Chandler, respectively. The Singh/Yun side took a 2-up lead after consecutive bogeys from Mathur and Tribolet on Nos. 3 and 4 and held onto their advantage for the next 11 holes, before a birdie by Mathur and Tribolet on the par-5 15th cut their deficit in half. Unfazed, Singh and Yun halved the final two holes, closing out the match and securing their spot in the final four.  
 
“It wasn't that comfortable,” said Singh when asked about the final stretch of the quarterfinal match. “I mean, the wind picked up, and for me, I was having a lot longer shots [than] on the front nine, but I was able to save some good pars, and Keira was helping me along. So, it was a good experience.”

What’s Next 

The semifinal matches and 18-hole championship match are scheduled for Wednesday, with the first match off at 7:30 a.m. and the second at 7:45 a.m. CDT. The final is set to tee off at 1 p.m. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to attend.

Notable

• By making the quarterfinal match, Kate Tilma and Meg Tilma; Chloe Johnson and Faith Johnson; Janae Leovao and Jasmine Leovao; and Anya Mathur and Ailis Tribolet are all exempt for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Daniel Island Club, provided the side remains intact. Semifinalists receive a two-year exemption with the same provisions.

• 2018 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion Shannon Johnson and her partner Megan Buck were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a 2-and-1 loss to Bella Dovhey and Sophia Dyer. No mid-amateur side has made a final in this championship. 

• In their round of 16 match against Michelle Ho and Michelle Woo, co-medalists Natalie Yen and Asia Young did not record a single 5, best ball, through the 14 holes that were played before winning 6 and 4. The Oregon duo were bogey-free in the match, birdieing both par-5’s that were played.

• Ailis Tribolet’s father, Beau Tribolet, was a mixed martial arts fighter. He fought professionally for five years (2008-13) as a light heavyweight and left the sport after reaching the Bellator series, the second-largest MMA series in the U.S. after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). 

• Going into the quarterfinals, there were three sets of sisters in the field. All of them were eliminated in Tuesday’s final round.

• Fay Jia (15) is the youngest player remaining in the field. Natalie Yen (18) is the oldest player remaining in the field.

Quotable

“I’m shaking. I’m crying. I’m still in shock.” – Fay Jia on her emotions after playing partner Cherry Zhang’s winning putt on the 18th green of their quarterfinal match

 “Yeah, there was a very interesting debate on [if there are] more doors or wheels in the world. That was going on all day.” – Natalie Yen on what her and playing partner Asia Young discussed during between shots and holes of their Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches
 
“We just tried to gauge it as well as we could and chose the right clubs and talked through it. For the wind, you just start to figure things out. You just have to play really conservative.” Athena Singh on managing windy conditions throughout the day

“I felt really calm out there. I feel like having Sophia as my partner, it made me feel really calm. Walking the fairways with my best friend, I knew she wasn't going to murder me if I did anything bad… We're just happy to be here.” Sophia Dyer on playing in the championship alongside friend and playing partner Bella Dovhey

“Definitely not for me. I think it was like, ‘I believe in Cherry, I believe in myself.’ I'm so proud of her for just making that [putt].” Fay Jia on her feelings of pressure going into the final hole