Golfweek - Golf News Magazine

By SEAN MARTIN
Assistant Editor

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Liz Bennett “didn't know anything” about the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur before arriving on Florida’s Atlantic coast. On Saturday, she scrambled her way to one of the most prestigious titles in women’s amateur golf.

The Englishwoman shot a final-round 72 at Oceanside Country Club to finish at 1-under 287 and win “The Sally” by two shots over Florida freshman Jessica Yadloczky, who was runner-up for the second consecutive year. The victory will help Bennett as she tries to earn a spot in another important competition later this year in another seaside town.

Bennett, the 2006 English Stroke Play champion, is a member of the 16-woman practice squad for this year’s Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team. Six squad members made the trip to Florida as prepartion for the Cup, which will be held May 30-June 1 at The Old Course at St. Andrews.

Bennett, who started the final round with a two-shot lead, opened the day by holing a 6-foot par putt. She hit just 12 greens in regulation Saturday, but got up-and-down four times in five opportunities.

“I’m pleased that I held it together going into the day with the lead,” Bennett said. “Even with bad ballstriking I still managed to get it around, which is a good feeling.”

She made three par putts of at least 5 feet in the first five holes, as well as a 15-footer for birdie on No. 3. That stroke maintained Bennett’s two-shot lead over two-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Bolger, who was playing with hopes of making the U.S. Curtis Cup team.

Bolger made a second consecutive birdie on No. 4 to pull within a shot, but then found trouble. She had to take penalties for a lost ball and an unplayable lie on two of the next three holes after hitting shots into palm trees. Despite making four birdies, she shot 74 to finish fourth at 3 over.

Bennett didn’t make a bogey until the par-5 12th, where a botched lay-up found the water. Her only other miscue came on the par-3 16th, when she failed to save par from behind the green.

Yadloczky pumped her fist after hitting 7-iron to 3 feet on the same hole. She sank the birdie putt to pull within a shot with two holes to go, but Bennett made par on the final two holes to hold off Yadloczky, who made bogey on No. 18 after almost holing her chip shot to force a playoff.

Earlier in the round, Yadloczky burned the edge on two eagle attempts – a 25-foot putt on the par-5 7th and a bump-and-run on No. 12 – and watched several birdie putts lip out.

“I was giving myself close calls,” said Yadloczky, No. 32 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. “She had a great tournament and made a lot of crucial putts, but I gave her a run for her money.”

Bennett graduated with an economics degree from Iowa in May 2005 after an undistinguished college career. She was never strongly considered for the 2006 Curtis Cup, winning the English Stroke Play while GB&I’s best were at Bandon Dunes.

But Bennett has “put in the difficult hours” to give herself a shot at being on this year's team, including a drastic change to her putting stroke. Bennett is so hunched over at address that she grips well down on her Ping Redwood putter, which is only 31 1/2 inches long.

She raised her fist above her head several times Sunday after holing especially crucial putts, like an 8-footer for par on No. 13 and a 6-foot putt that completed a sand save on No. 15.

Bolger would like to have a rematch with Bennett at St. Andrews. Despite her two Mid-Am titles, Bolger came to the Orange Blossom Circuit in need of a couple strong showings.

She closed 71-69 to finish T-7 at last week’s Harder Hall Invitational before finishing fourth this week. A USGA committee is scheduled to meet next week to determine the U.S. Curtis Cup team.

Bennett only helped her chances with Sunday’s victory.

“The Curtis Cup is at St. Andrews, which is nothing like (Oceanside),” she said. “But it’s a competition, and they wanted us to come play. If you win, it can’t do any harm.”

• • •

Sean Martin is a Golfweek assistant editor. To reach him e-mail smartin@golfweek.com.

---

Final scores with relation to par from the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur (“The Sally”), played Jan. 9-12 at the par-72 Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.:

1. Liz Bennett	73-72-70-72--287			-1
2. Jessica Yadloczky	69-76-72-72--289		+	1
3. Michele Thompson	73-76-69-72--290		+	2
4. Meghan Bolger	76-69-72-74--291		+	3
5. Alexandra Bodemann	71-73-74-74--292		+	4
6. Kristina Wong	72-74-72-75--293		+	5
7. Lindy Duncan	71-76-72-75--294		+	6
7. Rachel Jennings	71-70-78-75--294		+	6
7. Candace Schepperle	72-80-73-69--294		+	6
10. Virginia Derby Grimes	71-73-75-76--295		+	7
11. Katie Trotter	78-70-73-75--296		+	8
12. Kathy Hartwiger	73-72-80-73--298		+	10
13. Tiffany Chudy	71-74-74-80--299		+	11
14. Kristy McLaughlin	74-76-72-78--300		+	12
15. Tara Allen	76-74-74-78--302		+	14
15. Rachel Carpenter	72-74-74-82--302		+	14
17. Carlie Yadloczky	78-77-78-70--303		+	15
18. Naomi Edwards	76-73-74-81--304		+	16
19. Kerry Smith	77-81-76-71--305		+	17
19. Sahra Hassan	73-78-74-80--305		+	17
21. Courtney Harter	79-76-80-71--306		+	18
22. Kelly Calkin	76-78-77-77--308		+	20
23. Jenny Schneider	77-78-75-82--312		+	24
24. Rachel Connor	73-76-85-79--313		+	25
25. Rachel Cassidy	82-76-83-73--314		+	26
25. Paige Bromen	81-84-78-71--314		+	26
27. Carol Semple Thompson	80-76-77-82--315		+	27
28. Mayule Tomimbang	78-83-79-76--316		+	28
28. Kristen Wetzel	80-77-79-80--316		+	28
30. Tonya Choate	77-83-84-73--317		+	29
31. Stephanie Farrar	77-82-80-80--319		+	31
31. Laura Murray	84-79-77-79--319		+	31
31. Taffy Brower	81-82-77-79--319		+	31
34. Maggie Weder	84-73-85-78--320		+	32
34. Meredith Taylor	84-78-79-79--320		+	32
34. Holly Calvert	82-80-82-76--320		+	32
37. Therese Quinn	83-79-81-78--321		+	33
38. Carly Truitt	85-82-77-79--323		+	35
39. Kerri Connolly	82-81-81-81--325		+	37
40. Sarah Carty	83-78-77-88--326		+	38
40. Marie-Pierre Bernier	85-82-80-79--326		+	38
42. Natalie Easterly	81-83-81-82--327		+	39
43. Janice Roberts Wilson	78-84-81-86--329		+	41
43. Lauren Blount	85-82-78-84--329		+	41
45. Teri de Luis	84-85-80-83--332		+	44
45. Janie Carpenter	80-81-87-84--332		+	44
47. Tama Caldabaugh	81-83-83-86--333		+	45
48. Ginny Zanca	87-79-78-90--334		+	46
49. Meg Hughes	78-87-90-81--336		+	48
49. Erin Fitzpatrick	82-82-86-86--336		+	48
49. Angel Sze	83-80-92-81--336		+	48
49. Suzanne Kenkel	86-85-83-82--336		+	48
53. Barbara Pagana	80-93-84-81--338		+	50
54. Andrea Buccilla	90-87-84-78--339		+	51
55. Melanie Granville	84-81-86-89--340		+	52
56. Regine H. Parker	84-87-85-85--341		+	53
57. Dianne Yelovich	88-88-77-89--342		+	54
58. Kayla DeSuza	87-90-79-87--343		+	55
58. Debbie Mook Sang	87-87-82-87--343		+	55
60. Emily Brand	87-87-86-84--344		+	56
61. Clate Aydlett	87-87-89-82--345		+	57
61. Maureen Sheehan	84-82-89-90--345		+	57
63. Mayura Skowronski	87-90-87-82--346		+	58
64. Carol Turnage	88-88-85-86--347		+	59
65. May Jacques	87-87-82-93--349		+	61
66. Joan Roberts	95-86-86-83--350		+	62
67. Bronwyne Bruwer	82-95-87-87--351		+	63
67. Penny Lester	89-86-91-85--351		+	63
69. Kerry Johnson	96-90-79-87--352		+	64
69. Debe Schwedler	92-86-87-87--352		+	64
71. Caria Wasienko	90-90-82-91--353		+	65
72. Mary Kozak	87-90-87-91--355		+	67
72. Deb Mielke	84-88-90-93--355		+	67
74. Jan DeMarco	90-90-86-90--356		+	68
75. Denise Callahan	82-98-98-82--360		+	72
76. Elizabeth Breza	90-89-97-85--361		+	73
77. Carol Ann Kulzer	92-87-94-89--362		+	74
78. Stephanie Crolla	97-94-87-85--363		+	75
79. Marci Likens	84-93-94-93--364		+	76
79. Karen L. Smith	88-91-93-92--364		+	76
79. Sue Joy-Sabota	94-94-88-88--364		+	76
82. Jean Mowry	92-87-100-88--367		+	79
83. Marcella Rose	91-103-93-88--375		+	87
84. Nancy Williams	95-92-96-94--377		+	89
85. Diane Masterson	98-91-91-98--378		+	90
86. Jo Glenn	91-96-97-103--387		+	99

Posted: 1/12/2008

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