LIVE SCORING
TEE TIMES
By Alex Podlogar
Photo by John Patota and Melissa Schaub
PINEHURST, NC – Here is an understatement: golf has a long history. An incredible story.
However, the playoff for the 118 medalth The women’s North & South Amateur may have been the shortest and certainly the friendliest playoff in golf history.
Add another couple of signs to Pinehurst’s legendary history ledger no. 2.
Clemson’s Ivy Shepherd made a birdie on long par-4 14th hole of n. 2, ending what the itinerant referee called a “sudden victory” playoff to defeat his close friend Rachel Heck and earn medal honors Wednesday at the historic women’s North & South Amateur.
“After turning my scorecard, I was swiping and swiping to see who was playing in the playoff,” joked Shepherd, his little Putter Boy trophy for medal at the foot of his golf bag as he went directly to the driving range, Maniac Hill . “Then I saw, ‘Oh my God, I’m Rachel. What the hell? Is it Rachel who will make us play extra holes? “
The couple laughed as they greeted each other on the tee. “I could barely swing my driver, I was still laughing,” Heck said to an acquaintance in the small gallery.
The meeting of southern star golfers – Shepherd comes from Peachtree City, GA, while Heck, a junior golf phenomenon that made cuts in two major LPGA Tour championships, is from Memphis – was short. Overall, the playoff lasted just 11 minutes from tee shots to Shepherd’s 20-foot putt on the left edge of the green.
“It was going to roll about 8 feet further, but it hit the pin, thank God,” Shepherd said. “So luckily it was too fast.”
While Shepherd played well in the second round of racing on Pinehurst no. 4 – turned a 3-under 69 on Gil Hanse’s redesign for a total of 5-under 139 – Heck had the day’s round.
Stanford’s recruit, playing in his first North and South, made eight birds – including three in the last four holes – to get a 6-under 66 and match the lowest round on a par with number 4. Two weeks ago, Matthew Sharpstene shot a 6-under 64 on no. 4 who played a par-70 for Men’s North & South Amateur, for the course record.
“I haven’t played in a tournament for about nine months and I’m happy to be back on the pitch,” said Heck. “I’m having fun with my dad on the bag. I’m just trying to relax and enjoy myself. “
It showed.
The league will now move on to match play, with all games played on Pinehurst no. 2. The championship is scheduled for 12:45 on Saturday.
Duke, Megan Furtney and Stanie, Sadie Englemann, finished two shots less than the leaders at 3-under 141. Emilia Migliaccio of Wake Forest, the player with the highest score on the field at 5th worldwide, made the playing field after following his par 72 at no.2 on Tuesday with another round of 72 at no. 4. Duke Gina Kim also made it to par 144, while last year’s medal, Allisen Corpuz from Southern Cal, was at 1-under 143.
There was a 5-player playoff for 4 points for the semi-finals. Amanda Sambach, who won the Girls Junior North & South just last week, bogeyed the first hole of the playoffs to get out of the contest.
Other important names have also missed the cut, including the north and south 2017 female champion Isabella Fierro (76-74-150) and the rising star Alexa Pano (77-76-153).
Mississippi State Abbey Daniel had perhaps the toughest fortune of all Wednesday. After an 80 at no. 2 on Tuesday, Daniel reacted with a 4-under 68 at no. 4. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; Daniel finished a shot out of the playoffs for the semi-finals.
HISTORY
The female north and south champions are among the legends of the game and include Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Peggy Kirk Bell, Hollis Stacey and Brandie Burton, Brittany Lang, Morgan Pressel and Yani Tseng.
Although North and South are a championship with a great past, it also continues to promote a great legacy. Eleven of the last 17 amateur champions joined the LPGA Tour, four of which won major championships – Pressel, Tseng and Lang, who won the 2016 US Women’s Open. In 2011 female north and south female champion Danielle Kang won her first major championship in 2017 at the KPMG women’s PGA championship.
Women’s North & South has attracted the best amateur women from across the country and is the longest consecutive amateur women’s championship in the country. His first championship was played in 1903.
118th Amateur north and south women
14-18 July 2020
Match Play
Pinehurst no. 2
Round of 32
Thursday 16th July
No. 1 Ivy Shepherd vs. No. 32 Annika Borrelli, 7 am
No. 16 Gina Kim vs. No. 17 Allysha Mae Mateo, 7:08
No. 8 Christine Wang vs. N. 25 Megan Schofill, 7:16
No. 9 Mikayla Bardwell vs. No. 24 Blair Stockett, 7:24
No. 4 Megan Furtney vs. No. 29 Lauren Beaudreau, 7:32
No. 13 Aneka Seumanutafa vs. No. 20 Madison Moose, 7:40
No. 5 Therese Warner vs. No. 28 Marissa Wenzler, 7:48
No. 12 Allisen Corpuz vs. No. 21 Louise Yu, 7:56
No. 2 Rachel Heck vs. No. 31 Casey Weidenfeld, 8:04
No. 15 Michaela Morard vs. No. 18 Emily Mahar, 8:12
No. 7 Megha Ganne vs. No. 26 Rebecca DiNunzio, 8:20
No. 10 Rachel Kuehn vs. No. 23 Bentley Cotton, 8:28
No. 3 Sadie Englemann vs. No. 30 Lauren Hartlage, 8:36
No. 14 Emilia Migliaccio vs. No. 19 Lei Ye, 8:44 am
No. 6 Haylin Harris vs. No. 27 Alice Hodge, 8:52
No. 11 Pilar Echeverria vs. No. Amari Avery, 9 am
Round of 16
Friday 17th July
Quarter finals
Friday 17th July
Semifinals
Saturday 18th July
Championship
Saturday 18th July
