Sara Im wins the Georgia Women's Amateur on the final hole
Sara Im (Georgia State Golf Association Photo)
Sara Im of Duluth knocked in a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to capture the Georgia Women's Amateur Championship in thrilling fashion! The 95th playing of the prestigious championship was contested June 28-30 at the Country Club of Columbus.
Im, a soon-to-be sophomore at Vanderbilt University, began the final round seeking her second Georgia Women's Amateur title (2020). She led by one over Christina Surcey of Cartersville and two over LoraLie Cowart of Douglasville.
It was a steady start to the round for Im, with four straight pars, which pushed her lead to two during the early stages of the day. But bogeys on the par-3 5th and par-3 8th allowed Cowart to enter the back nine just one back of Im.
A birdie on the par-4 10th pushed momentum back towards Im, but back-to-back bogeys followed, leaving her lead just one over Cowart and Surcey with six holes to go.
Cowart knocked in a long birdie attempt on the par-3 14th to tie Im at the top of the leaderboard at 3-under, while a bogey on the par-5 15th pushed Surcey to two back. Bogeys for Im and Cowart on the par-3 16th put Im and Cowart at 2-under and Surcey at 1-under.
Im and Cowart took advantage of the par-5 17th, making a birdie, setting up a showdown between the two for the Eleanor M. Keeler Memorial Trophy on the par-4 18th, which played as the hardest hole for the championship. Both players hit good drives to put themselves in position, but Cowart's approach just rolled off the green to the left of the flag while Im left herself around 20 feet.
Cowart hit a good chip shot, assuring herself of a par, giving me the opportunity to take the win. And that she did.
Im rolled in her birdie attempt in front of the spectators, crowded around the green to etch her name on the trophy for the second time in her career. She finished at 4-under (69-69-74), edging out Cowart (69-71-73) by one.
Mary Miller of Savannah (71-70-74) and Surcey (70-69-77) rounded out the top four, while GaEun Athena Yoo of Alpharetta (72-74-71), Mikayla Dubnik of Murrayville (72-72-73), Kate Song of Alpharetta (72-72-73) and Erica Scutt of Johns Creek (74-70-73) tied for fifth.
For Im, her victory also earned her an exemption into the U.S. Women's Amateur later this summer at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma.
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ABOUT THE Georgia Women's Amateur
54 hole stroke play championship for Georgia
women, flighted after the second round. The Eleanor M.
Keeler Memorial Trophy
is awarded to the champion.
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