Sweet 16 Has Decidedly MSU Flavor
EAST LANSING – Of the 16 golfers who advanced to the second round of match play at the Michigan Women’s Amateur at Forest Akers West Golf Course, five players — Gabrielle Yurik (Oaklan), Liz Nagel (DeWitt), Bea Murray (East Lansing), Christine Meier (Rochester Hills) and Natalie Brehm (Mount Pleasant) – have ties to Michigan State University. Brehm graduated in 2011, but the others are all currently on the MSU team and fared well on their home course in the first round of match play.
Play was delayed for almost three hours due to thunderstorms in the area, but once the tournament got underway there were no interruptions.
“No one likes a rain delay, but at least it wasn’t a situation where we started to play and then got called back in and had to wait,” said defending champion Meier. “We just had to find something to do for a couple of hours to try to stay occupied.”
Also advancing to match play were Emmie Pietila (Brighton), Sarah Johnson (Wixom), Elle Nichols (Okemos), Kelsey Murphy (Plymouth), Aya Johnson (Muskegon), Jacqueline Setas (East Lansing), Heather Marks (Byron Center), Lindsey McPherson (Flushing), Melissa Beurmann (Jackson), Theresa Damico (White Lake) and Hannah Lewis (Plainwell).
Nichols had a tough match with Kelly Hartigan (Clinton Twp.). Nichols was down two going into 14 and managed to turn the match around to win 1 up.
“I won 14 and 15. We both made 5 on 16 and stayed all square through 17,” said Nichols, who is a student at Okemos High School. “ Then on 18, I hit the green and she caught the lip of the bunker and landed in it so I ended up winning the hole.”
Meier won her match over Ashley Swanson 8&7 but says she did not feel like she played exceptionally well.
“My chipping was really good today and I hit a lot of fairways. I didn’t do anything spectacular, I just did not make any mistakes and sometimes that is what it takes in match play.”
The second round of match play begins at 8 a.m. Thursday. Admission is free and spectators are welcome. There will be live match-play scoring available on the GAM web site at www.gam.org.
Quotes from Match Play Winners, Michigan Women’s Amateur
At Forest Akers West, July 18, 2012
Christine Meier / Rochester Hills
“No one likes a rain delay, but at least it wasn’t a situation where we started to play and then got called back in and had to wait. We just had to find something to do for a couple of hours to try to stay occupied.”
“I’ve played with Ashley (Swanson) quite a bit in high school so we know each other very well. She is a very good player and just had a rough day out there. It can happen to anyone; it could happen to me tomorrow.”
“My chipping was really good today and I hit a lot of fairways. I didn’t do anything spectacular, I just did not make any mistakes and sometimes that is what it takes in match play.”
Liz Nagel / De Witt
“My putting really saved me today. I made a long one on number one and then I sunk a lot of four and five footers.”
“In match play, small mistakes look much bigger. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes today and in match play, that is key.”
“I wasn’t striking the ball as well as I have the past two days but my putting helped me get through.”
Gabrielle Yurik / Oakland
“In match play, pars are great and I was able to hit a lot of greens today which is something I haven’t been able to do in a long time. I was making putts consistently – four and five-foot putts – and that is important in match play.”
“You really have to keep mistakes to a minimum. There are some difficult holes out there. The 9th is a par 3 and they had us shooting from the back tees and the pin was way at the back left of the green. So there was a lot of potential to get in trouble on that hole.”
Hannah Lewis / Plainwell
“My putting was working today which is hasn’t in a long time.”
“I think the turning point of the match was on number six where I hit a bad iron shot, chipped up and then sunk a 12-foot putt. That was where the match started to go my way. I made that putt and it was like ‘BOOM’!”
Melissa Beurmann / Jackson
“I was finally making some smart putts. I wasn’t trying to do anything special, just play steady and consistent. In match play, par Is great and a birdie is better.”
“I felt like I was hitting more aggressive today, maybe because I was hitting the ball better it just gave me more confidence.”
Theresa Damico / White Lake
“Everything was working for me today. I had not seen Devon since high school so it was great to play with her and see an old familiar face again.”
Sarah Johnson /Wixom
“My driver came back. My whole swing was back today. The first few holes I wasn’t comfortable, then on the 13th hole all of a sudden everything felt right and I was fine after that.”
Aya Johnson / Muskegon
“I was sticking my irons close today, which I have not been doing the first two days. That left me with shorter putts and put me in a good position for a two-putt at the very least.”
Heather Marks / Byron Center
“The course played a lot longer today. It was wet early so you were not getting any roll plus the tee boxes were moved back and some of the pins were at the very back of the green. I just got up and down pretty good today and I think that was the difference.”
Jacqueline Setas / East Lansing
“I didn’t start out playing well on the front nine but after the turn, I just told myself I needed to pick it up a notch and that’s what I did. It was more of a mental thing than anything else.”
Lindsey McPherson / Flushing
“It was back and forth. I was hitting my driver well but my putting was horrible, I think I had three 3 putts!”
“I felt like the 11th hole was a turning point for me. I hit a solid shot to the fairway, got to the green and two putted and that is what golf is supposed to be. I just felt like I regained my consistency on that hole.”
Natalie Brehm / Mount Pleasant
“I don’t think either Ella (Pendy) or I played our best game today. I won 18 with a bogey so that just shows you what the match was like today. It was just a tough day for both of us.”
“The course played a lot longer today and that just made the round a lot more challenging.”
Emmie Pietila / Brighton
“I was driving the ball good on the last couple of holes and I had a few good tee shots. I wanted to be even at the turn and I was one down so I think that just helped to give me confidence and that’s when I started to pull away in the match a little.”
Kelsey Murphy / Plymouth
“I just feel like I played very steady, consistent golf. It was a fun round and I was able to sink some putts.”
Bea Murray / East Lansing
“On 16 I hit it onto the fringe and she had to chip up and I think that was the turning point of the round. Plus, I was never down in the match. It was a close match, but I was never down and that gave me confidence.”
“This was my first time playing match play and I like it. It’s less pressure because if you take a double or triple bogey on a hole, you are still only one down instead of being three or four down.”
Elle Nichols / Okemos
“I was down two going into 14. Then I won 14 and 15. We both made 5 on 16 and stayed all square through 17. Then on 18, I hit the green and she caught the lip of the bunker and landed in it so I ended up winning the hole.”
