Liu cruises into Philadelphia Women's Match Play Championship quarterfinals

   Alessandra Liu, who will tee it up in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green Golf Club in three weeks, cruised into the quarterfinals of the 119^th Philadelphia Women’s Match Play Championship Tuesday at the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale.

   Liu, a former Lower Merion standout who qualified for the NCAA Championship as a senior at William & Mary this spring, earned medalist honors with a 73 in qualifying Monday. Liu, playing out of Commonwealth National Golf Club, then opened match play Tuesday with an 8 and 6 victory over Alison Shoemaker of Philadelphia Cricket Club.

   Liu’s quarterfinal opponent Wednesday morning will be fellow Commonwealth National member Ashley Cassidy, who downed Samantha Perrotta of Old York Road Country Club, 3 and 2, in another opening-round match.

   Defending champion Suzi Spotleson of RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve knocked off Janine Nicolich of Lookaway Golf Club, 4 and 3. Spotleson will take on Riverton Country Club veteran Ann Laughlin, who has won this title many times, in the quarterfinals. Laughlin ousted Lynne Zelner of Honeybrook Golf Club, 4 and 3.

   Another quarterfinal will pit two recent scholastic standouts. Sammie Staudt, who starred at Coatesville and is playing out of Applecross Country Club, claimed a 2 and 1 victory over Bonnie George of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Staudt’s quarterfinal opponent will be Maddie Sager, who was the runnerup to Radnor’s Brynn Walker in the PIAA Class AAA Tournament as a senior at Owen J. Roberts last fall. Sager, playing out of Spring-Ford Country Club, defeated Unionville’s Kate Evanko, 7 and 5.

   Evanko, who plays out of Radley Run Country Club, will also be in the field for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green.

   The final quarterfinal matchup will pit Penn State sophomore Cara Basso and former Penn standout Catherine Elliott. Basso, playing out of Whitford Country Club, topped Jessica Weikel of Huntingdon Valley, 7 and 6, while Elliott, a Merion Golf Club member, knocked off Laura Hammond of Penn Oaks Golf Club, 3 and 2. Hammond, like Laughlin, has won this title many times.

   In the first flight, Overbrook Golf Club’s Karen McFadden led the charge into the quarterfinals with a 2 and 1 win over Deerfield’s Angie Coleman. McFadden will face Commonwealth National’s Karen Siegel, a 2 and 1 winner over Marji Goldman of the Cricket Club, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

   In the other first-round matches, Maggie Schueller of Huntingdon Valley topped Susan Kirk of Tavistock Country Club, 3 and 1, Ruth Averback of Old York Road ousted Sue Klauder of Manufacturers Golf & Country Club, 3 and 2, Linda Kennedy of Commonwealth National downed Judy Owens of Waynesborough Country Club, 4 and 3, Merion Golf Club veteran Liz Haines cruised to a 6 and 5 win over Kim Balaschak of host Union League Golf Club at Torresdale, Pat Hughes-Gelardi of Manufacturers edged Joanne Bidwell of the Cricket Club on the 19^th hole and AK Frazier of Gulph Mills Golf Club rolled to a 6 and 5 victory over Carol Landgraf of Riverton.