The Loop

No huge leads mid-way through APL/WAPL final

__BANDON, Ore.—__Looks like it should be an interesting afternoon at Old Macdonald GC as neither final match in the men's and women's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is a run away.

Through 18 holes, incoming Wake Forest freshman__Marissa Dodd__ has a 1 up lead on UCLA's Brianna Doe, while Clemson's__Corbin Mills__ took a 2-up lead on UNLV's Derek Ernst.

The Mills/Ernst morning 18 was the proverbial see-saw affair, with the duo halving only four holes. Mills never trailed and held a 3-up lead after a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole, but then made four straight bogeys and saw the match return to all square when Ernst birdied the par-4 13th.

Two wayward swings off the tee by Ernst over the final three holes, however, cost him. Pull hooking his tee shot on 16 into the left rough, Ernst failed to get up and down for par to fall 2 down. An eagle on the par-5 17th seemed to right the ship for Ernst, but another pulls drive on the 18th left an opportunity for Mills, who hit his approach shot to five feet on the home hole and then made a birdie to move to 2 up.

Dodd took a 2-up lead through seven holes but saw Do come back and actually take a 1-up lead after the 16th. But Dodd won the 17th and 18th holes with a pair of pars to regain the advantage after 18.