Joining Wood in today’s semifinals at Pinehurst No. 2 are Lisa Ferraro, Morgan Pressel and Kristen White. The 18-hole matches began at 8 a.m. The winners of today’s matches will meet Saturday in the 36-hole championship beginning at 8 a.m.
Wood, who won the championship in 2002, battled an errant driver on the front nine of her match against Ford, before turning it up entering the back nine to take a 4 and 3 win over her opponent.
“I hit the ball pretty badly off the tee on the front nine,” Wood said. “I was going north and then I was going south, completely opposite of where I wanted them to go. I did some drills on the tee before I hit and it came around on the back nine.”
Wood closed out her match against Ford when she stuck a knockdown 5-iron within two feet on the 175-yard, par-3 15th hole. She made the birdie putt, while Ford settled for par.
Ferraro, a resident of Lodi, Calif., defeated Carolina Llano of Medellin, Colombia, 4 and 3 in the other end of the upper bracket and will face Wood in one semifinal match.
White, who tied with Wood in qualifying before Wood won medalist honors in extra holes, handled Wake Forest University’s Ashley Hoagland by a 4 and 3 score.
She will face Morgan Pressel, a 3 and 2 winner over Mary Ann Plunkett, in the lower bracket semifinal.
Wood’s thoughts about today’s round would provide a good formula for any of the remaining golfers to claim the championship.
“I’m just going to go out there, stay patient and give myself plenty of opportunities to make birdies,” Wood said. “It will be tough to beat pars and birdies. I just have to give myself opportunities to do it.”
Of the 12 matches played Thursday at No. 2, only two of them went the distance.
In the eight early-morning rounds, Wood defeated Martha Leach of Hebron, Ky., 4 and 3, while Ford defeated Amber Prange of Noblesville, Ind., 6 and 4.
Ferraro claimed a 2 and 1 win over Elizabeth Dotson of White Bluff, Tenn., to set up her quarterfinal match against Llano, a 4 and 2 winner over Katie Miller of Jeannette, Pa.
White defeated Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., 4 and 3, while Hoagland went the full 18 holes in defeating Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont.
Pressel was forced to extra holes before grinding out a win over Ellen Port of St. Louis, Mo., in 20 holes. Plunkett claimed a 4 and 3 win over Stephanie Schaefer of Lincoln, Neb.
