2024 US Women’s Amateur quarterfinal results, updates from Tulsa

Another day, another late comeback by the medalist.

Maria Jose Marin, the medalist from stroke play, trailed Anna Davis 1 down entering the 18th hole. She hadn’t led for the entire match. On Thursday, Marin won 1 up on the final hole after a stellar comeback, and she’d need to do it again.

She made par on the difficult 18th, enough to secure a victory and force extra holes. Marin and Davis matched pars on the par-4 10th, the 19th hole. Then the same, matching pars on the par-3 11th.

But on the 12th is where Marin shined. She pounded a drive down the fairway and hit her approach in close. Meanwhile, Davis’ tee shot drifted left and bounced off a tree, backing herself into a corner. Then on her swing, she clipped a branch, and her ball splashed in the water a couple seconds later.

Marin, a rising sophomore at Arkansas, topped Davis in 21 holes to punch her spot in the semifinals. It wasn’t a brilliant day for Marin, who had plenty of ups and downs throughout the match, but she had enough juice when it mattered to pull through and survive.

“I came here with an objective and it was to make the cut and to have a good chance into match play,” Marin said. “As I’ve said a million times and I think I’m going to say it until the day I die, I never thought I was going to be a medalist and not even in the semifinals.”

One of the keys to Marin’s success this week has been her dad, Jose, on the bag. A constant ball of energy strolling the fairways, he’s his daughter’s biggest cheerleader and gets to be inside the ropes.

“This is my first U.S. Am and the first time that my dad is on the bag in a U.S. Am also. It’s just amazing that he’s there with me, cheering me on. Of course if I make a bad shot he’s not going to be happy, but it’s normal.

“I’m just really grateful that he’s with me. He knows me, and, well, I love him.”