2013 Girls’ Championship

 

Tardy Wins Georgia Girls' Championship

 

GSGA Player of the Year standings

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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Bailey Tardy of Norcross carded a steady 1-under-par 71 during the final round at Atlanta Athletic Club to win the 34th annual Georgia Girls' Championship with a 6-under-par 210 54-hole score. Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell finished in the runner-up spot two strokes back at 4-under-par 212. Tardy and Mitsunaga were the only two players in the field to finish in red numbers and to have posted scores each round at par or better.

Tardy, playing on her home course at Atlanta Athletic Club, carded 13 birdies, 34 pars and seven bogeys over the three-day competition. During Wednesday's final round, Tardy turned in birdies on holes two, four, nine and 10, with bogeys on six, 11 and 12. Mitsunaga's scorecard included 12 birdies, 35 pars, six bogeys and one double-bogey.

Joining Tardy and Mitsunaga in the overall top 10 on the final leaderboard include Eunice Yi of Evans (6-over-par 222 (74-75-73)) in third and Annie Swords of Newnan (10-over-par 226 (76-77-73)) in fourth. Diane Lim of Norcross (76-79-72) and Janet Jianing Mao of Johns Creek (75-74-78) tied for fifth at 11-over-par 227. Madison Caldwell of Dawsonville finished in seventh at 19-over-par 235 (77-76-82), while Payton Schanen of Alpharetta (79-80-79) and Minji Kim of Cumming (78-81-79) tied for eighth at 22-over-par 238. Rounding out the top 10 were Christina Yang of Suwanee (84-78-77) and Amanda Doherty of Atlanta (81-77-81) at 23-over-par 239.

Yi is fresh off winning the individual title at the state high school championships, while leading Lakeside High to the Class 5A title.

The shot of the championship went to Kate Owens of Suwanee for recording a hole-in-one on the 145-yard par 3 15th hole during Monday's first round at Atlanta Athletic Club.

The top four finishers – Tardy, Mitsunaga, Yi and Swords – have been invited to represent Georgia in the seventh annual Georgia-South Carolina Girls' Junior Challenge Match, a match-play team competition between the two states. This year's event takes place at Seabrook Island-Crooked Oaks Course in South Carolina, August 3-4.

After a playoff to determine the alternate positions, Lim secured the first alternate spot and Mao is the second.

Caldwell earned first flight honors with her 235 score. Gracie Henderson of Norcross won the second flight at 28-over-par 244 (85-77-82). The third flight went to Karson Stone of Thomasville at 28-over-par 244 (77-81-86), and the fourth flight went to Christyn Carr of Duluth at 40-over-par 256 (76-87-93).

Entries were open to female amateur golfers between the ages of nine and 17 with a maximum USGA Handicap Index of 24.4. A competitor must be at least nine years old as of June 17 and not be 18 as of June 19. The format was 54 holes of stroke play.