Japanese teenager wins US Women's Amateur golf championship

Aug 15 (NHK) - Japanese teenager Baba Saki has won the 122nd US Women's Amateur golf championship.

The 17-year-old high school student on Sunday became the first Japanese player to win the title since Hattori Michiko in 1985. The tournament is regarded as one of the world's top championships for female amateur golfers.

Baba faced off against Canadian Monet Chun in the 36-hole match-play final at the Chambers Bay course in Washington state.

The Japanese teenager secured a 7-up lead after the first 18 holes. Chun narrowed the margin on the 20th and 21st holes, but Baba birdied the next three holes and sealed her victory on the 27th hole with an 11-up lead.

Baba said that she was thinking the whole round she was going to win. She added that she is so happy to be able to write her name alongside Hattori Michiko's.

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