Nicole Perrot

Nicole Perrot, 17, of Santiago, Chile, birdied the 10th hole of a seesaw match to gain the lead for good to defeat Whitney Welch, 17, of Las Vegas, Nev., 3 and 2, at the 2001 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan.

"This match was really difficult because we were square, 1 up, 1 down," said Perrot, who hit all 13 fairways in the match. "on hole No. 9, I missed the putt and then I said, 'Now if this match is going anyplace, I have to put the pressure on for the second nine.'"

Perrot sank a curling 12-foot putt for birdie on the 10th hole to take a 1-up lead and the players halved the next four holes with par.

Welch, who started playing golf less than three years ago, hit her drive on the par-4 15th into a fairway bunker and then could not convert her par putt.

With a 2-up lead at the 16th tee, Perrot drove into the fairway and hit a 4-iron to 20 feet and two-putted. The Championship belonged to Perrot when Welch's short par putt edged past the hole.

"A lot of people thought I missed the two-footer because I was nervous," said Welch, who twice had 1-up leads on th front nine. "But, I see every putt going in, I do it all the time. I line it up, set it up and putt. I was startled, absolutely."

"I'm really happy. I am really excited right now," said Perrot, who played for Chile in the 1998 and 2000 Women's World Amateur Team Championships. "It was a difficult week but I played really well all week. My irons and putting were the key this week."