Megha Ganne Claims Decisive Win Over Brooke Biermann At US Women's Amateur

The Stanford player was never behind in the championship match of the prestigious amateur tournament at Bandon Dunes as she won 4&3

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Megha Ganne holding the US Women's Amateur trophy

(Image credit: USGA/Darren Carroll)

Stanford's Megha Ganne is the winner of the 125th US Women's Amateur after a largely dominant victory over Brooke Biermann at Bandon Dunes.

At the start, the two finalists, who each faced each other having emerged from extra holes in Saturday's semifinals, were locked in a closely fought battle.

Playing beneath cloudless skies but with a blustery wind, Ganne was 2-up after just three holes before Biermann fought back to tie things up at the fifth.

However, in truth, Ganne always looked the more likely to break away. She was pegged back again at the eighth after going 1-up at the seventh, but by the 12th, her class began to show.

She won three successive holes between the 12th and the 14th to go 3-up, and that's how it stayed at the halfway stage.

While there was still plenty of golf to be played at that point, Biermann would have known the importance of a good start to the second 18. Instead, it went the other way, with Ganne going 4-up on the 19th hole of the day.

Biermann hit back again on the fourth hole of the second 18, a par 5, but a beautiful birdie putt on the next hole restored her 4-up lead.

Still Biermann came back, winning the sixth, ninth and 13th of the second 18, but she could never build on those fleeting moments of momentum, with Ganne re-establishing her four-hole cushion each time.

Finally, the pair headed to the par-3 15th knowing that if Biermann was to take the trophy from Ganne's grasp, there was no more room for error.

She made a valiant birdie attempt from long range that would have given her a chance of taking it to another hole, but when that came up short, it left Ganne two to win it.

Her first didn't have the pace either, but with just a couple of feet to seal it, she made no mistake to take the title 4&3.

Following her victory, Ganne said: "I was thinking about this trophy the entire day, which makes it really distracting to play golf. I was trying my absolute hardest to think about the shot in front of me.

"And Brooke did not make it easy on me. She's an incredible competitor. She showed so much fight. Congratulations to her and her family on an incredible week."

Biermann, who has graduated from Michigan State, was determined to take the positives from the week, saying: "I feel like this taught me a lot about myself. How I can push through adversity and under pressure make a lot of great putts. So this was a great week and a lot of learning experiences that I'll take with me."

US Women's Amateur Championship Score

  • Megha Ganne beats Brooke Biermann 4&3

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MEGHA GANNE WINS US WOMEN'S AMATEUR!

After both players' tee shots find the green, Biermann leaves herself a long biride putt at the 15th, needing to win the hole to continue.

It comes up short, leaving Ganne with two to win it 4 and 3. The first is short. Now needing a putt from a couple of feet to win it, the nerves will surely be kicking in. Not that you'd notice as she confidently rolls in the decisive putt to win the US Women's Amateur!

STATE OF PLAY

So, the state of play is that, as the two head to the 15th, it could be all over at this hole.

Megha Ganne is 4-up with four to play, leaving no margin for error for Brooke Biermann.

GANNE BACK IN CONTROL

Is Ganne feeling the pressure? Maybe, maybe not, but her tee shot at the 14th finds the rough.

She gets out of trouble and is on the green in two. Now for her birdie putt. Her read is a little off and it breaks right.

Biermann is next. She has further to go and is on the edge of the green. She leaves it short.

How short? Short enough to miss the next one. Suddenly, from having a chance to claw things back to 2-up, Ganne needs a short par putt to go 4-up with four to go. She does and that could be the decisive moment.

GANNE PEGGED BACK

Ganne's second at the 13th comes in hot and settles off on a drain off the back right of the green. She takes free relief and leaves it on the green.

Biermann's next. She has some way to go to the green, and that's pretty good. They'll each have birdie chances.

Ganne is first up and misses left. A chance for Biermann to once again claw herself back into it. Will she take it?

She does! Ganne is now 3-up with five to play.

LUCKY BREAK FOR BIERMANN

It's maybe a stretch to say Biermann's luck could be about to turn, but her tee shot at the 13th looked for the world as though it would settle in the rough before taking a couple of bounces in it and scampering back onto the fairway.

She's going to need luck like that combined with her considerable ability to claw back four on Megha with a maximum of six to play, but it's a start.

SOLID RECOVERY FROM BIERMANN

Can Biermann get up and down at the 12th after that slip from her tee shot? Her second is OK as it's on the green. Will a three be enough though?

Ganne's second breaks too far right, but that'll be a par. The pressure's on Biermann. She makes it and the hole will be tied.

Brooke Biermann

(Image credit: Getty Images)

BAD LUCK FOR BROOKE

So, about the par-3 12th. It's only 100 yards, but it's inadvisable to misjudge this one. Why? The penalty area is the Pacific Ocean. No pressure then.

Megha goes first and plays a tee shot befitting of a player with a commanding lead, leaving it in the center of the green.

Now Biermann and it's another setback as her back foot slips on her tee shot and the ball responds by coming up well, well short of the green. Events seem to be conspiring against her here.

GANNE RECLAIMS 4-UP LEAD

Brooke Biermann seems to be struggling for momentum. Just when she claws something back or stays in it, trouble seems never far away. Her second at the 11th is a case in point, which goes way off target following a pull with her 3-wood. It rolls onto a cart path and settles under a cart. Ganne, meanwhile, motors on. She sends an approach sailing onto the green.

Brooke's third doesn't go to plan, falling well short of the pin and if she doesn't make par, it'll likely be a concession to Ganne. Her fourth misses and Biermann concedes.

Onto the par-3 12th we go.

PERKS OF WINNING

Whichever of these plays goes on to win the tournament, there are some eye-catching perks heading their way. Here are the details.

TIED AT THE 10TH

At the par-4 10th, both Biermann and Ganne find the green with their approach shots on either side of the pin. Ganne has a slight advantage with distance, but neither is particularly close to the flag.

Biermann goes first. She could do to hole this put much-needed pressure on her rival. It never looks like having the legs and comes up well short.

It's Ganne to win the hole. She crouches behind the ball several times, knowing how decisive this could be. It rolls just right, but this could still go her way. The par is conceded to her, meaning Biermann can't miss her par putt. She holes it and it remains Ganne 3-up.

BIERMANN BACK IN IT

At the par-5 ninth, Biermann is in the rough on her second, and she leaves it shorter than she'd have liked.

From the fairway, Ganne fares better, almost finding the green.

Now, back to Brooke, desperate to place some pressure on Megha. Her third does just that! It's only three feet from the hole.

How will Ganne respond? She attempts a delicate chip onto the elevated green, but it won't sit and sails some way past the pin. Advantage Biermann?

Ganne's first with her birdie effort. It goes left. Now Biermann. Not surprisingly, she takes her time lining it up. It thinks about resting on the lip but drops in and Ganne's now just 3-up.

TIED AT THE EIGHTH

The wind may be causing a degree of concern for the finalists, but it's a gorgeous Oregon day otherwise, with Bandon Dunes a vibrant green against the deep blue of the Pacific in the background as the sun beams down.

Now we're at the eighth, a 349-yard par-4, where Biermann's approach is safely on the green. Ganne's OK too.

Now on the green, Biermann's birdie putt has the speed, but it misses right by a whisker. Can Ganne go 5-up with her attempt? Not quite. It falls short by an inch or two.

GANNE BACK TO 4-UP

Biermann's attempt to dig herself out of trouble with her third at the seventh goes awry as her effort to make it to the green doesn't even get out of the rough. Her fourth is a chip that goes about 20 feet past the flag. Now Ganne just needs to complete the formalities to go 4-up, and does.

Megha Ganne at Bandon Dunes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

ADVANTAGE GANNE AT THE SEVENTH

Biermann has a 7-iron in her hands for her approach at the par-4 seventh, but it catches the considerable wind and goes way left. Now Ganne, with an 8-iron right at the flagstick. The ripples of appreciative applause indicate it's advantage to the Stanford star as she leaves a birdie chance.

BROOKE BITES BACK!

At the sixth, Ganne is putting into the wind - and that is a serious factor today with some blustery conditions coming in off the Pacific. This is for birdie... it heads over an undulation nicely enough before losing its mojo and coming up short.

Now Biermann. This is more straightforward but it's hardly a gimme and still lengthy. A fistpump says it all as her yellow ball drops and we're back to 3-up to Ganne!

TIED AT THE FIFTH

On the green at five, Biermann has a birdie putt to apply some pressure. It's another long one, but she does well, leaving it inside five feet.

Let's see how Ganne responds. It's a similar distance - 20-30 feet. This wins the hole if she makes it. It's a tricky one to read, but she's already shown us what she can do. She gets it close, but it's just short. Ganne keeps her 4-up lead.

BRILLIANT FROM GANNE

A brilliant long birdie putt for Ganne at the 22nd hole is going to be hard to beat. The ball breaks right and navigates a ridge before dropping in.

Can Biermann, in a similar position, chip in? She can't, but she gives it a good go as it just edges right. Back to 4-up for Ganne and you have to feel for her opponent, who must wonder how you can stop the Ganne charge when she's in this form.

A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR BIERMANN

Is this a turning point? Even if it's not, it's a filip for Biermann, who claws one back on Ganne with a birdie at the fourth hole of the second 18, a par-5. Ganne is now 3-up, the same as she was at the halfway point.

Brooke Biermann at the US Women's Amateur

(Image credit: Getty Images)

FANS OUT IN FORCE

Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek is at Bandon Dunes, and he reports a good crowd cheering on the two finalists as the second 18 got underway.

GANNE EXTENDS ADVANTAGE

It didn't take Megah Ganne long after the break to impose her superiority over proceedings. She's now 4-up over Brooke Biermann after making a birdie on the 19th hole of the day, a 345-yard par-4, which her opponent could only par.

Biermann then settles things down with a tie on the 20th, but she'll want to cut into that lead sooner rather than later if she's to stand a decent chance.

MEET THE FINALISTS

Brooke Biermann was born in Missouri and attended Michigan State. This is her final tournament before she turns pro. Her dad, Bill, is caddying for her this week.

Megha Ganne was born in New Jersey and attends Stanford. She's touted as a star of the future and qualified for the US Women's Open aged just 15. She placed T14 in the 2021 edition of the Major.

STORY OF THE FINAL SO FAR...

As for the first half of the final, it had been nip and tuck between Biermann and Ganne over the first 11 holes, with Biermann largely keeping in touch despite falling behind several times.

That's when Ganne's class began to shine through though, winning the 12th, 13th and 14th before Biermann stopped the rot.

That leaves Biermann some work to do, but there's a lot of golf left to be played at Bandon Dunes.

HOW THEY REACHED THE FINAL

How did Brooke Biermann and Megha Ganne make it to the final?

Well, for only the third time in 125 editions of the tournament, both semifinal matches went to extra holes. Eventually, Biermann edged out Lyla Louderbaugh, with Ganne getting the better of Ella Scaysbrook.

WELCOME

Welcome to the coverage of the final session of one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments, the US Women's Amateur.

After the first 18 holes of the 36-hole marathon between Brooke Biermann and Megha Ganne, it's Stanford's Ganne who has the clear advantage, taking a 3-up lead over her rival in the match play contest.

Let's see how the rest of the action unfolds, where I'll keep you up to date throughout the evening. Play resumes in 15 minutes or so.