Noh makes the final, Li falls in semifinal at U.S. Girls Junior

Yealimi Noh of Concord, who competed at the PGA Junior Women's Championship last week in Kentucky, continued to ride at Poppy Hills Golf. Classes at Pebble Beach. Noh, the No. 2 seed, has qualified for the final with a 3 and 2 win over Gina Kim of Chapel Hill, NC

But Lucy Li, the seeded after crushing the ground in stroke play, stumbled on Saturday. Alexa Pano of Lake Worth, Fla., Made birdie on the 18th hole to win a 1-up win and knock Li out of contention for the national championship of 18 and under.

Noh and Plano started their 36-hole title on Saturday afternoon, although they will likely have to return to Poppy Hills on Sunday to finish.

Noh, 16, has never followed his semifinal match. She made four birdies, including one at number 1 to quickly take advantage, and no bogey to send Kim.

Li, 15, and Pano, only 13, engaged in a tense match. Li equalized by winning the number 16 with the pair, but Pano came back to birdie on number 18, a par-5 of 484 yards. Li did the parity.

Ron Kroichick is columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ronkroichick