ELMHURST, Ill. –The next chapter of a familiar collegiate rivalry will play out in the final of the 126th Women’s Western Amateur Championship.

After navigating two rounds of match play at River Forest Country Club on Friday, Grace Lee, of Bellevue, Washington, and co-medalist Kylee Choi, of Murrieta, California, advanced to Saturday’s championship match, where they'll compete for the W.A. Alexander Trophy.

The two are not strangers. Lee, a Gonzaga graduate, and Choi, a rising sophomore at Pepperdine, both earned All-West Coast Conference honors last season and finished among the top five individually at the 2026 West Coast Conference Championship.

The championship match is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT Saturday.

Lee has been this tournament's most dominant match-play competitor, never needing more than 16 holes to secure a victory. She punched her ticket to the final by defeating Oregon State's Raya Nakao, one of three co-medalists, 4 and 3 in the semifinals.

Choi, who is ranked No. 72 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, took a much different path. Her semifinal against Kentucky's Cathryn Brown went the distance, featuring seven lead changes before Choi took a 1-up advantage on No. 17 and sealed the match with a par on No. 18.

The victory carried extra meaning after Choi's Women’s Western Amateur run ended in the quarterfinals a year ago.

"I wanted redemption," she said.

Choi walked off the 18th green in tears before immediately calling her mother, who had been following the online leaderboard at home.

"Very emotional in a way because it's my first time getting past the semifinals of any tournament, and I just wish my mom was here to watch me play," Choi said. "I'm really proud because I've been playing so well this week."

After a standout freshman season at Pepperdine, Choi was named West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, earned honorable mention All-America honors from both the Women's Golf Coaches Association and Golfweek and was selected to the WGCA Division I All-Freshman Team, recognizing the nation's top five freshmen.

She's also had some hometown help this week, with a River Forest caddie named Santiago on her bag.

"Shoutout to my caddie, Santiago,” Choi said. “It's been so fun. We've just been talking about everything while we walk, and he's kept me so calm."

Lee has enjoyed her own family support throughout the championship. Her younger sister Lauren, a member of the Seattle Pacific women's golf team, has caddied for her all week.

"She keeps my mind off the stress and does a really good job of keeping the energy low key and just having fun out there," Lee said.

A three-time All-West Coast Conference first-team selection at Gonzaga, Lee recently won the 2026 Washington Women's Amateur – defending her title in 2025 – to earn a spot in next month's U.S. Women's Amateur at The Honors Course in Tennessee. She'll also compete in the Canadian Women's Amateur later this month.

Standing on the first tee with the championship trophy in view, Lee said she's exactly where she belongs.

"I definitely think so," she said. "If it happens, it happens, just letting things come to me. Every round I'm learning more about my game and how I approach the game, and I think that's the biggest takeaway from this tournament."

To view the full match play bracket, click here.

Held without interruption since 1901, the Women's Western Amateur is among the oldest and most prestigious championships in women's amateur golf. The winner will join a list of champions that includes Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Nancy Lopez, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn.

Attendance and parking for the Women’s Western Amateur are free.

Round of 32 Results
Thursday, July 9, 2026

Upper Bracket
Raya Nakao, Kaneohe, Hawaii, def. Kaitlyn Schroeder, Jacksonville, Florida, 2 and 1
Kaili Xiao, Chino Hills, California, def. Malena Castro, General Pico, Argentina, 19 holes
Rebecca Wang, Seattle, Washington, def. C.A. Carter, Lexington, Kentucky, 4 and 3
Raegan Denton, Adelaide, Australia, def. Angelina Tolentino, Mount Laurel, New Jersey, 2 up
Grace Lee, Bellevue, Washington, def. Scarlett Schremmer, Birmingham, Alabama, 4 and 3
Ryan Flynn, Truckee, California, def. Gabriella Nicastro, Huntsville, Alabama, 1 up
Jaclyn LaHa, Pleasanton, California, def. Zoe Cusack, Potomac, Maryland, 3 and 2
Sarah Lim, Saratoga, California, def. Ningyao Xu, China, 6 and 5

Lower Bracket
Kate Nakaoka, Mililani, Hawaii, def. Rachel Lee, Australia, 1 up
Amelie Zalsman, Saint Petersburg, Florida, def. Bentley Cotton, Austin, Texas, 22 holes
Pinky Chaisilprungruang, Phitsanulok, Thailand, def. Alexa Saldana, Mexico City, Mexico, 4 and 3
Cathryn Brown, Eddyville, Kentucky, def. Nichakorn Pinprayoon, Thailand, 2 and 1
Kylee Choi, Murrieta, California, def. Emilia Doran, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2 and 1
Alli Wiertel, Oswego, Illinois, def. Katie Li, Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 4 and 2
Mia Clausen, Carlsbad, California, def. Hsin Chun Liao, Taiwan, 4 and 3
Anna Song, Los Angeles, California, def. Alexandra Gazzoli, Palm Coast, Florida, 6 and 5

Sweet 16 Results
Thursday, July 9, 2026

Upper Bracket
Nakao def. Xiao, 4 and 3
Wang def. Denton, 1 up
Lee def. Flynn, 4 and 2
Lim def. LaHa, 3 and 2

Lower Bracket
Zalsman def. Nakaoka, 4 and 3
Brown def. Chaisilprungruang, 3 and 1
Choi def. Wiertel, 4 and 2
Song def. Clausen, 5 and 3

Quarterfinal Results
Friday, July 10, 2026

Upper Bracket
Nakao def. Wang, 3 and 2
Lee def. Lim, 4 and 2

Lower Bracket
Brown def. Zalsman, 1 up
Choi def. Song, 3 and 2

Semifinal Results
Friday, July 10, 2026

Upper Bracket
Lee def. Nakao, 4 and 3

Lower Bracket
Choi def. Brown, 1 up