Shepherd claims title in U.S. Girls tourney

AUGUSTA, Mo. (AP) — Erica Shepherd won the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship on Saturday, beating Jennifer Chang 3 and 2 a day after reaching the 36-hole final on her opponent's rules violation.

The 16-year-old Shepherd, from Greenwood, Indiana, ended the title match against close friend Chang with a tap-in par on Boone Valley's par-3 16th hole.

"Ever since I was little, I've always told everyone when making my goals, this is the goal that I have to accomplish," said Shepherd, the left-hander who has verbally committed to attend Duke in 2019.

On Friday, Shepherd beat Elizabeth Moon of Forrest City, Arkansas, on the first extra hole when Moon was penalized for moving her ball before her short par putt was conceded. After missing a short birdie putt that would have ended the semifinal match, the 17-year-old Moon reached across the hole and pulled her ball back with her putter before Shepherd had an opportunity to concede the par putt. The action resulted in the loss of the hole and the match.