Fortuna pulls off 2 wins, barges into quarters

MANILA, Philippines - Mikha Fortuna hacked out a pair of victories in varying fashions, including an emphatic 4&3 romp over American Danielle Lemek, to crash into the quarterfinal round of the Women’s Western Golf Association’s 116th National Amateur Championships at the Dayton Country Club in Dayton, Ohio Thursday.

Barely recovering from an escape act over Lauren Hartlage on the 19th hole in the first round of the knockout phase Wednesday, Fortuna needed another extra hole to edge San Diego’s Monica Matsubara, in the morning Round of 32 match.

But the young The Country Club bet came out strong in the afternoon play, gunning down two birdies en route to finishing off Lemek and earning a spot in the Final Eight minus the top five bets after the 36-hole stroke play elims.

No. 6 August Kim emerged as the top player among the eight survivors, beating Lauren Waller, 3&2, in the Round of 16, and thwarting Halley Morell, 2-up, in the next round.

“She’s been hitting it good and getting the right breaks. We just hope she continues to buck the odds and gain a crack at the championship,” said TCC coach Bong Lopez of Fortuna, who has posted victories in the Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus and the 87th San Francisco Junior last year.