2013 GA-SC Girls’ Junior Challenge Match

Georgia Wins Challenge Match, 15 1/2 - 8 1/2

 

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. - Georgia wins the Georgia-South Carolina Girls' Junior Challenge Match, 15 1/2 - 8 1/2, over South Carolina. The eighth annual competition took place at Seabrook Island-Crooked Oaks Course in Johns Island, S.C., August 3-4.

 

Beginning the final round with Georgia leading 9-3, South Carolina notched the first points of the day as Kelli Murphy of Elgin, S.C., defeated Janet Mao of Johns Creek, Ga., 5 and 4, sweeping match one. Match two and three went Georgia's way though, as Diane Lim of Norcross and Annie Swords of Newnan took care of their opponents from the Palmetto State, Natalie Srinivasan of Spartanburg (4 and 3) and Kelsey Badmaev of Blythewood (4 and 3), respectively. Lim earned 2 1/2 points for Georgia, while Swords swept her match to get three points.

 

Georgia's 14 1/2 points would clinch the match for the away team, keeping the trophy in Georgia for the fourth-straight year. In the final match of the day, Eunice Yi of Newnan, Ga., came up short against Reona Hirai of Summerville, S.C., 2 up, bringing the final overall match score to 15 1/2 - 8 1/2.

 

Lim led her team in the two-day event, going 2-0 and earning 5 1/2 points. Yi earned four points for the Peach State, splitting her matches 1-1. Mao and Swords also split their matches, finishing with three points each.

 

The Match is being scored in Nassau format, which awards one point to the winner of each nine and one point to the overall match winner. Georgia won three of the four matches in the opening round, sweeping all three points in those matches, to jump out to a large lead. In the final round, Georgia won two of four matches.

 

This is the eighth playing of the Georgia-South Carolina Girls' Junior Challenge Match, which brings together the top girl golfers from the two neighboring states. Teams are composed of the top four finishers from each state's Girls' Championship. Georgia now leads the series, 6-2, and has won four straight.