Alexis Thompson moves on at US Womens Amateur

ST. LOUIS ' Florida teen stars Alexis Thompson and Jessica Korda advanced to the U.S. Womens Amateur quarterfinals Thursday, winning second- and third-round matches at Old Warson Country Club.

The 14-year-old Thompson, the 2008 U.S. Girls Junior champion from Coral Springs, overcame putting problems for a pair of 2-and-1 victories, beating Englands Jodi Ewart in the morning and returning to top the Philippines Cyna Marie Rodriguez.

My putting was bad, said Thompson, trying to become the seventh player to win both the Girls Junior and Womens Amateur. I just tried to be more confident over my putts in the second round. It just didnt seem to work. I dont know what Im doing.

Korda ' with her father, former tennis star Petr Korda, working as her caddie ' beat Aimee Neff of Carmel, Ind., 6 and 5, and Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., 2 and 1.

The 16-year-old Korda, from Bradenton, will face Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights, Calif., in the quarterfinals, while Thompson will play South Koreas Han Jungeun.

Every match is hard, said Thompson, the sister of PGA Tour player Nicholas Thompson. You cant take it easy on anybody. Youve got to make some birdies and youve got to go for it.

In the other quarterfinals, Jennifer Johnson of La Quinta, Calif., will face Candace Schepperle of Birmingham, Ala., and Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, will play Jennifer Song, the U.S. Womens Amateur Public Links winner from Ann Arbor, Mich.

In the third round, Johnson beat Sydnee Michaels of Temecula, Calif., 3 and 2; Schepperle defeated Canadas Maude-Aimee Leblanc 3 and 2; Kono edged Allie White of Lancaster, Ohio, 2-up; and Song beat Cydney Clanton of Concord, N.C., 2 and 1.

The 19-year-old Song is trying to join Pearl Sinn as the only players to win the Public Links and Amateur in the same year.

Im feeling really good, said Song, the University of Southern California player who was the low amateur in the U.S. Womens Open. Obviously, I am very confident going into tomorrow. My short game is coming back.