UCLA star Tiffany Joh won the U.S. Womens Amateur Public Links for the second time in three years, rallying to win four of the last six holes Saturday for a 2-and-1 victory over Southern California recruit Jennifer Song.
Joh, from San Diego, the 2006 winner at Walking Stick in Pueblo, Colo., is the fifth player two-time winner in the 32-year history of the USGA event. Kelly Fuiks (1977-78), Lori Castillo (1979-80), Pearl Sinn (1988-89) and Jo Jo Robertson (1995, 97) also won the tournament twice.
Song won the first hole, led almost the entire match and was 2-up after a birdie on the 10th hole on the 6,178-yard, par-73 Erin Hills course.
But Joh won the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th to go 2 up. Her 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th hole gave her her first lead of the match at 1-up. She went 2-up when Songs 4-foot putt for par grazed the left side of the cup on the 16th.
The players then halved the par-4 17th to give Joh the win.
Joh was on of the victorious 2008 USA Curtis Cup team and was the runner-up at the NCAA Division I Womens Championship last month.
Song has dual U.S. and South Korean citizenship. She was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., while her father was studying there. She
Last year, Song had a sensational debut in USGA play as she tied for low-amateur honors in the