At Whitford, Voss, Ladden gain final

It took her four extra holes, but Laura Ladden advanced to the finals of the Women's Golf Association of Philadelphia's match-play championship for the ninth time, defeating Catherine Elliott on the 22d hole of their semifinal match Thursday at Whitford Country Club in Exton.

Ladden, who has won the championship-flight title seven times since playing in her first one in 1994, won on the 469-yard, par-5 fourth hole to reach Friday's 36-hole final.

She will face Dana Voss, who won the other semifinal by defeating 11-time champion Ann Laughlin, 1 up. Voss, a June graduate of West Chester Rustin who is Wisconsin-bound, is playing in the event for the first time.

"I didn't start off well today," Ladden said. "I was down three after the first three holes. I played a lot better the next 19 holes."

She rebounded by winning the fourth hole with a par and posting a birdie on the par-3 sixth to pull to within one of Elliott, a spring graduate of Penn. Ladden lost the eighth hole and was two down entering the back nine.

Ladden won the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes to go up by one, but lost that lead on the 14th. She also had a one-hole lead entering the 18th but lost it when Elliott recovered after going into a trap.

The two players halved the next three holes before Elliott pushed her third shot high on the right side of the elevated 18th green. Ladden sank a 10-foot putt to win.

"I beat myself on a lot of holes today," said Elliott, who plans to play in the North-South Amateur on Saturday at Pinehurst, N.C. She had never reached the semifinals in four previous appearances.

Laughlin, who last won the title in 1993, started out well. She was up by three after four holes, but Voss eventually took a one-hole lead after the 12th hole. Laughlin evened it by winning the 16th. They halved the 17th before Laughlin ran into trouble on the 369-yard, par-4 18th.

"It's been a great experience, especially to get to the finals," Voss said.

In the first-flight finals Friday, Susan Kirk and Hilary Lassoff will meet in an 18-hole match.

The Results

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Semifinals: Laura Ladden def. Catherine Elliott on 22d hole; Dana Voss def. Ann Laughlin, 1 up.

FIRST FLIGHT

Semifinals: Susan Kirk def. Cynthia Clough, 2 and 1; Hilary Lassoff def. Christine Hunt, 3 and 2.