Johnson takes stroke play at Michigan Women’s Amateur
SWINGING FOR THE TOP: Sarah Johnson of Wixom was the Stroke Play champion at the Michigan Women's Amateur at 141 and drew the No.1 seedfor the 32-player match play, which begins Wednesday. Courtesy Photo | Golf Association of Michigan.
Yurik, Compton, Meier all in top 10 heading into match play
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP — Sarah Johnson knows that a top-seed has never lost in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in the first round. She wants to make sure that type of upset doesn’t happen in women’s golf, either, at least with her in the bracket.
Johnson, the former Walled Lake Central star and current member of the women’s golf team at Eastern Michigan University, is the leader after two days of competition at the 95th Annual Michigan Women’s Amateur Tournament at Prestwick Village Country Club near Milford.
Johnson fired a tournament-best 68 Monday, four strokes under par, then came back Tuesday to shoot a 73 for a 141 total and three-stroke lead. She also claimed the Stroke Play trophy to grab the No. 1 seed heading into match play, which begins Wednesday.
“In golf everyone is good once you get to match play,” reminded Johnson, a state champion in high school back in 2007. “I don’t want to be the one to get knocked out early. In golf, I’m sure it’s happened.”
Johnson stands at three-under par and is now comfortable with the course despite living only 10 miles away but never having played the course until this summer.
“I really like it out there. The speed of the greens are very fast,” offered Johnson. “I hit a lot of fairways, tried not to get into trouble.”
Gabby Yurik, who will be a senior at Rochester Stoney Creek High School this fall and is the heavy favorite to win the 2011 Miss Golf Award, was second in stroke play and grabbed the No. 2 seed heading into Wednesday’s match play. Yurik carded a 73 on Monday and came back with a 71 on Tuesday.
“(I’ve been) hitting more greens, getting the speeds of the greens helped me get a lot (to get) closer, so I had a lot of just tap-in puts today instead five footers or seven footers,” said Yurik, who is a Division I college recruit for basketball and golf. “The 17th hole is a pretty difficult par 3 and I just came off a bad shot on the last hole so I needed to hit a good shot and get some confidence to help close out the round. I hit about pin high and within 10 feet and was able to make the putt so it was good to go into 18 with that.”
Yurik is more familiar with the course’s layout and is eying a pass into the Round of 16 with a win on Wednesday morning.
“I’m more familiar with the course now after being able to play two rounds here but I wasn’t really familiar with it at all before because I didn’t get a chance to play the practice round here,” she said. “I’m happy with where I’m at. I’m very confident.”
Sarah Hoffman (Saline) was third at 146 (72-74) and Christine Meier (Rochester High/Michigan State) shot a 147 (76-71) to tie Mount Pleasant’s Leah Grawburg (75-72—147) for fourth.
Alanna Gerber (Hudsonville/Oakland University) posted a 148 (75-73) to share sixth place with Shana Bauer of Grand Blanc (74-74—148) and Emmie Pietila of Brighton (78-70—148). Pietila had the top effort on Tuesday with her round of 70.
Match-play rounds will begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, as the field has dwindled down to 32 golfers after 100 participants golfed Monday and Tuesday to try to qualify for match play.
Devon Compton, the 2010 high school Division 1 state champion and Miss Golf last fall playing at Rochester Stoney Creek, overcame a triple-bogie on the last hole Tuesday to still finish 15th overall. She posted a 152 (75-77) to advance.
Mara Kovac (Lansing Catholic Central/Oakland, 80-76—156) also made the cut for the 32-player match play field by tying for 25th and is the other player with local ties still alive in the prestigious tourney.
“I had a rough hole at the end,” smiled Compton, who will play this fall at the University of Michigan. “There was a 68 up there, so I knew I wasn’t in contention. I was just trying to get in. I wanted to make the cut because I didn’t make the match play (last summer). The year before that I took the stroke play and the match play.”
Several other golfers with local ties competed in stroke play but did not advance to match play. Among that group was Daphne Chang of Troy (87-90—177), Maria Demarco (Troy Athens/Western Michigan University, 82-80—162), Christine Dolikian (Troy High, 85-86—171), Kelly Feng (Troy High, 80-78—158), Rosalie Shyu (Rochester High/University of Michigan, 82-82—164) and Jennifer Yang of Troy (98-83—174)
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