BATTLE CREEK – Christine Meier (Rochester Hills/Cherry Creek GC) won the 18th GAM Women?s Championship in dramatic fashion sinking her putt on the fourth playoff hole to defeat Darby Peters (Lake Orion/Atlas Valley GC) at Battle Creek Country Club on Tuesday.
Meier missed a 3-foot putt to win on the first playoff hole, Peters and Meier both birdied the second hole and bogeyed the third. With the pressure mounting, Meier made her putt for par and then had to wait to see if Peters would sink her uphill putt for par to send it to the fifth playoff hole. Peters missed the putt and Meier secured the championship.
?It was a little nerve-wracking,? said Meier. ?Once I made my putt there wasn?t anything else I could do. I just had to wait and see what she was going to do. She made a similar putt on the second hole so I really thought she was going to make it, but it lipped out.?
This is not the first time Meier and Peters have met in a playoff. The two where high school rivals ? Meier for Rochester High School and Peters for Lake Orion ? and Meier won a 4-hole playoff in a high school tournament last year.
?Darby and I have known each other a long time and have played against each other a long time,? said Meier.
Meier shot a 68-73?141 and Peters shot a 70-71?141 in the two-day GAM Women?s Championship.
?The second day started out OK for me,? said Meier. ?I shot a 35 on the front nine but then I started the back 9 with bogey, bogey, double. ?
Meier managed to come back strong on the final holes to force the playoff.
?It was really close and just a tough day compared with yesterday,? said Meier.
