(Getty Images photo)
Emma Talley has moved on to the round of 16 at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards despite being seeded 60th out of 64 players in the field.
Talley went 2-0-1 to win her four-person group, defeating Lauren Stephenson 5 and 3 in Friday’s action at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.
She will next face No. 12 seed Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden Saturday morning. Sagstrom went 3-0 in her round-robin matches.
With a win over Jennifer Kupcho on Wednesday and a tie with Stacy Lewis on Thursday, Talley entered Friday’s play knowing that a win guaranteed her a berth in the round of 16.
The Caldwell County High School grad never trailed against Stephenson, winning the first two holes and taking nine of the 15 holes played.
Stephenson was 1 down after winning the third hole, but Talley came back to take the next two holes to go 3 up.
It was 2 up at the turn, and Talley still held a 2 up lead through 12.
But Talley took the next three holes, finishing with back-to-back birdies on No. 14 and 15 to go 5 up and put the match away.
Talley and Sagstrom will tee off at 9 a.m. Central time — the first match of the day Saturday.
The eight winners Saturday morning will return to the course Saturday afternoon for the quarterfinal round.
The semifinals are Sunday morning. The championship match and the third-place match will be played Sunday afternoon.
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