Stephanie Kono and Ayaka Kaneko worked overtime in match play yesterday and it paid off, with Kono going 23 holes to beat Kimberly Kim and Kaneko winning on the 24th hole.

The results put two the Honolulu golfers into today's semifinals of U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at Lakewood, Wash.

Kono's hopes of winning her first Girls' Junior in her sixth and final try remained alive when she beat Kim with a birdie on the 23rd hole of a quarterfinal match at Tacoma Country & Golf Club. Kono, a 17-year-old Punahou School senior, plays Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif. today.

Kaneko, a 17-year-old Sacred Hearts Academy senior, birdied the par-3 No. 6 to beat Sue Kim of Canada on the 24th hole in the second-longest match in tournament history. The tournament record of 25 holes was set in 1980. Kaneko faces Michelle Shin of Cape Coral, Fla., in the other semifinal.

Kono played a total of 43 holes between her two matches yesterday, winning her first one on the 20th hole.

Kim, a 15-year-old former Hilo resident now living in Arizona, never led in the match against Kono, but kept it close. Kono took a 2-up lead with a birdie on the 10th hole, but Kim closed to one with a par on No. 13 and squared the match with a birdie on No. 16. The match remained all-square until the deciding hole.

On the 23rd hole, the par-4, 350-yard fifth, Kim hit her approach just short of the green, while Kono hit hers to 6 feet of the cup.

"I had 89 yards in for the second shot (and) as soon as I hit it — I hit my gap wedge — I knew I had hit it close," Kono said in a story at the tournament's Web site. "I had a perfect putt up the hill, no break at all, so I was very happy with that."

Kono sank the 6-footer to win.

"The whole round was disappointing," Kim said. "I wouldn't be disappointed if I played good and I lost. But I didn't putt good at all and I lost."

Kaneko got off to a fast start against Sue Kim, building a 3-up lead after seven holes. But Kim was able to catch Kaneko, squaring the match at the par-3 No. 17 with a birdie.

Kaneko had a chance to win on the 20th hole but missed 5-foot birdie try. On the 24th, she hit a 6-iron to 12 feet and made the birdie putt.

"This is my first time (going that many holes)," Kaneko said. "Actually, I am not that tired. I just need some sleep."

Park, 14, defeated Haley Sanders of Rogers, Ark., on the 19th hole, in the quarterfinals. Shin, 16, eliminated Sarah Brown of Lopatcong, N.J., 4 and 3.

In the round of 16 yesterday, Kaneko provided the upset of the day, defeating third-seeded Mina Harigae, 1-up.

Harigae, 17, of Monterey, Calif., held a 2-up lead after 13 holes, but Kaneko birdied the 14th and 15th to square the match. She birdied the No. 17 for the lead and the match ended when both made par on No. 18.

Kim, the stroke-play medalist, defeated Mary Michael Maggio, 16, of Conway, Ark., 2 and 1, in her round-of-16 match.

Kim lost the first hole but squared the match with a birdie on the par-3 third and built a 3-up advantage with a birdie on the par-5 11th hole. Maggio cut the deficit to two holes with a birdie on 16, but the two traded pars on No. 17 to give Kim the victory.

Kono needed 20 holes to beat Maria Jose Uribe, 17, of Colombia. On the 20th hole (par-4 second), Uribe missed her 20-foot par putt, and conceded Kono's short par putt.

Kono, who last week verbally committed to UCLA in the fall of 2008, according to a USGA story, will turn 18 before next year's U.S. Girls' Junior and past the age of eligibility.

The 36-hole championship final is scheduled for tomorrow.

Kaneko, Kim and Kono are members of the West team that will play the East in the Canon Cup for the top junior players at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., starting Tuesday.

The U.S. Girls' Junior is conducted by the United States Golf Association.

Information from www.usgirlsjunior.org was used in this report.