Unheralded teen duo wins U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-ball Championship

CARROLLTON, Texas – Savannah Barker and Alexa Saldana won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-ball Championship on Wednesday, surviving a 20-hole match in the semifinals and then pulling away late in the final at Maridoe Golf Club.

Barker and Saldana won six of the last eight holes, finishing with a birdie on the par-3 14th hole for a 5-and-4 victory over Jillian Bourdage and Casey Weidenfeld.

Bourdage and Weidenfeld also lost in the championship match two years ago.

Barker and Savannah, the 26th seed out of 32 teams that made it through medal qualifying, never had to go more than 15 holes in their first three matches.

But in the semifinals Wednesday morning, they lost a 3-up lead through 10 holes and had to go overtime against Gianna Clemente and Avery Zweig, winning with a birdie on the second extra hole.

Bourdage and Weidenfeld lost a 4-up lead after 11 holes in their semifinal match against Paris Hilinski and Alexa Pano, prevailing on the 20th hole with a birdie.

In the championship match, Bourdage and Weidenfeld birdied the opening hole and still were 1 up through six holes when it all fell apart.

Barker and Saldana won the next two holes with pars to take the lead. They won the final three holes of the match with two pars and a birdie on the 14th.

It was the shortest championship match since the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-ball began in 2015. The USGA event was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.