On a gorgeous Thursday morning in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Brock, 25, denied Aliea Clark from becoming the first No.64 seed to win a USGA championship.

The former University of Tennessee golfer won six consecutive holes starting on No.7 to seize control of the 18-hole final match and earn a 5&4 victory. The win earned Brock an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open next June at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

At 25 years, 10 months and 20 days, Brock is the third-youngest champion in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur history behind Lauren Greenlief and Sarah Ingram.

“I’m speechless. This has been an absolute dream week for me,” said Brock, who won the 2021 Tennessee Women’s Mid-Amateur just prior to this championship. “I'm so happy. The course has been phenomenal. I've enjoyed it. The superintendent has done a great job, especially with the rain we had at the start of the week. The USGA has been absolutely incredible. It's a dream.”

The finalists pose with the trophy on Thursday. PHOTO: USGA.

Clark, a 25-year-old native of San Diego, California, who now is a graduate student at New York University, was only the second No.64 seed to reach a USGA final, joining Alexandra Frazier, who lost in the championship match of the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Fiddlesticks Country Club, the site of next year’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Five days ago, Clark looked like she might be heading home without ever teeing it up in the match-play portion of the championship.

She finished stroke play 23 strokes behind record-setting medallist Jennifer Peng and needed a birdie on the first hole of a 5-for-1 play-off to nab the final spot in the draw.

That set up a first-round encounter with Peng, her good friend and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball partner. But Clark pulled off a stunning 1-up win and then proceeded to play like a top seed over her next four matches, never going beyond the 16th hole. That was until Thursday’s championship match.

Meanwhile, Brock was creating her own magic at Berkeley Hall, winning extra-hole matches in the Round of 16, quarterfinals and semi finals, the latter a 19-hole decision over 2018 champion Shannon Johnson.

She would not need such drama on Thursday, despite going 1-down following a bogey on the par-3 sixth.

It was Clark's putting that ultimately ended her run at the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. PHOTO: USGA.

Clark’s cold putter contributed as well. While the former UCLA golfer’s ball-striking was solid the entire match, she three-putted for bogey on several greens. With the match tied through six holes, Clark missed a 10-footer for par to lose the seventh hole, then watched Brock made a 12-foot birdie after she missed from 15 feet to lose the eighth, and she lipped out a three-foot par putt on No.9 to go 2-down at the turn.

“I felt confident all day,” said Brock. “I knew I was hitting it great. For me, I was trying not to worry too much about what she was doing and just play my own game. I think the key for me this week was I never really got down on myself. I just held my head high the entire time and just tried to commit to my line and my speed.

“That [putt] on eight was a big momentum change for me when I made birdie there. I felt confident with my putting, and for me, that's the key.”

Clark’s game continued to slide on the second nine as three more bogeys on Nos.10-12 pushed Brock’s lead to 5-up.

“The greens were tough today,” said Clark. “I couldn't get my speed down. But it's okay. I made the finals, it's great.”