Cydney Clanton returned to the finals of the 108th Women’s North & South Amateur Championship for a second straight year, winning both of her matches in impressive fashion at Pinehurst No. 2 on today.

The championship’s top-seeded player, heading into her senior season at Auburn, wasted little time setting the tone for the day, winning the first three holes of her morning match against Emma Lavy of Fayetteville, Ark.

Clanton improved to 5 up through 10 holes and capped off the quarterfinal victory with six birdies en route to a 4 and 3 win.

“I started out really hot today,” Clanton said. “On my first four holes I knocked it within six feet, so to make short putts right off the bat is always a good confidence boost. It allowed me to be more comfortable.”

Clanton, of Concord, fell behind out of the gate in her semifinal match when Isabelle Lendl, the daughter of former tennis great Ivan Lendl, birdied the first hole. But Clanton pulled even two holes later with a birdie of her own and then waited for her opponent to make a mistake.

The first miscue by Lendl came when her tee shot on the par-3 6th hole came up short and she couldn’t get up-and-down, losing the hole with a bogey. The University of Florida sophomore then ran into more trouble on the 10th when she advanced her drive just 10 yards after finding a waste area that produced a tricky uphill shot.

Both players hit approach shots on the par-5 within 10 feet and it appeared Lendl might be able to halve the hole, however she missed for bogey and Clanton sank her putt for birdie to go 2-up.

A 45-minute lightning delay followed, but Clanton won two of the next four holes to close out the match on the 15th hole.

“I have definitely hit it better the last two days and putted a lot better the last two days, and seeing putts go in is always a confidence builder,” said Clanton, who will take on sixth-seeded Lisa McCloskey of Houston in the 36-hole final match Saturday. “Just staying in the moment and not trying to think about last year, and being in the finals again this year is just awesome.”

After winning her first match of the 64-play match play field with no birdies, Clanton has recorded 16 birdies in her four matches leading into the finals.

In the other semifinal match, McCloskey of Pepperdine, who lost to Clanton in the semifinals last year 4 and 3, defeated Atlantic Coast Conference individual champion Michelle Shin of Wake Forest 2 and 1.

McCloskey carded four birdies in her match against Shin and was up by three holes through 11.

“I was close last year and maybe I can get a little bit of revenge back, but Cydney hits it really long, so it’s a little bit intimidating, especially in match play,” McCloskey said.

Clanton was 3-up in last year’s championship match before falling to Amelia Lewis 3 and 2.