ANN ARBOR – Anna
Kramer of Spring Lake made a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to
turn back Morgan Smith of Muskegon and win the 25th GAM Women’s Championship
presented by GolfWeek Tuesday at Polo Fields Golf & Country Club – Ann Arbor.
Kramer, a
17-year-old senior-to-be at Spring Lake High School, was able to clear a
green-fronting bunker on the downhill par 4 No. 18 hole and two-putt for par
from the back fringe, while Smith, a 22-year-old senior-to-be at Oakland
University, hit her second shot in the bunker and couldn’t save par.
“That’s really a
tough shot,” Kramer said of the short approach on 18. “It’s downhill, the green
is down, and it’s a hard green to hold. I just cleared that bunker and the ball
kept rolling to the back.”
Kramer, who was the
Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 individual state champion
and part of the Spring Lake team that won its second consecutive state team title,
couldn’t fight off the tears after winning. She had fired a final 4-over 76 to
check in at 148, while Smith shot 73 for 148 to set up the playoff.
“I cried my tears of
joy for a little bit because I’ve been working and waiting for my tournament –
the one I was going to win,” Kramer said. “It made me really happy, and it’s
got to be the biggest that I have won because I was playing against all these
great college players.”
Michigan State golfer Jacqueline Setas of East
Lansing and University of Akron golfer Pader Her of Lansing tied for third at
149, one shot out of the playoff. Setas closed with a 76 and Her shot 77.
Sarah White of
Caledonia, a Western Michigan University golfer, shot 76 for 150 to round out
the top five.
Kramer, a
quarterfinalist in last year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur, said she came off the
course in regulation play extremely disappointed.
“I had made bogeys
on my last three holes and I had burned the edge of the cup with a par putt on
18,” she said. “I had kind of a bad feeling-good feeling there for a minute
when I realized I was in a playoff with Morgan.”
Smith said she had
played so poorly on the front nine that when her regulation round was over she
was just happy that she had rallied and played 4-under on the back nine.
“I was just trying
to finish out strong because I had a brutal front nine, and I’m happy that I
was even in position to be in a playoff,” she said. “To shoot 4-under on the
back nine to me is an accomplishment. I’m happy. Anna is a great player. Good
for her. I’m proud of her.”
-Greg Johnson
