2009 Greater Atlanta Women’s Amateur Championship

Coble Hangs On to Win Greater Atlanta Women's Amateur Championship
Augustan captures fourth title in this event with birdie on 18

 

NEWNAN, Ga. – Augusta's Laura Coble birdied the 18th hole for a final-round 79, a tournament-total of 230 and a two-stroke victory over Ashley Medders of Alma, capturing her fourth Greater Atlanta Women's Amateur Championship title. The 40th annual event took place at Newnan Country Club, May 18-20.

Kaley Branton of Cartersville, a member of the Troy University golf team, carded 78 in the final round to finish in sole possession of third place at 237. Fifteen-year-old Amira Alexander of Alpharetta moved from sixth place to fourth in the standings with a final-round 77 and a tournament total of 239. Alei Mitchell of Waycross won the first flight and finished fifth overall at 25-over-par 241with a final-round 81.

Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell, who played with Coble and Medders in the final pairing, carded 84 to finish sixth at 243. Danielle Davis of St. Simons Island tied with 14-year-old Dayana Marquez of Atlanta for seventh place overall at 245. Kennesaw State golfer Abby Fitzgerald of Leesburg tied for ninth position at 247 with Brenda Pictor of Marietta, a past champion in this event.

Coble, who led wire-to-wire, owned a three-stroke over Medders going into the final round. Medders was able to chip away at the lead with birdies at the 136-yard second and 340-yard fifth. Coble, meanwhile, double-bogeyed No. 3, then suffered three-straight bogeys at 5, 6 and 7. Medders actually held a brief, one-stroke lead after seven, but Coble bounced back with a birdie on No. 8 to even things up through the turn.

All of Medders' work over the front nine to move into a tie with Coble were erased at No. 10, where she carded a triple bogey. She bounced back with a birdie at No. 11, but Coble held on to a two-stroke lead through16. Coble then double-bogeyed the 160-yard, par-3 17th, and once again the players were tied heading into the final hole.

"At that point I wasn't sure where we stood," Coble said. "We had been back and forth all day, and I didn't feel that I was playing well, so I was just trying to finish strong."

After the duo hit nearly identical drives on the 485-yard, par-5 final hole, Coble put her third shot on the green, about 12 feet from the hole. Medders' ball came to rest just short of a bunker, and her chip stopped in the fringe. Medders settled for bogey, while Coble connected on her birdie putt and the final two-stroke margin of victory.

Coble captures her fourth title in this event after also winning the Championship in 2002, '05 and '06. Only current touring professional Cindy Schreyer, who won five straight from 1981-85, owns more Greater Atlanta titles.

Coble also picked up the Founder's Trophy for having the lowest 36-hole score. Pictor received the Senior Trophy for the being the low senior from the Championship tees.

Other flight winners included Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain in the second (250), Deana Atkins of Dacula in the third (259) and Suzanne Murray of Roswell in the fourth (259).

The field of 49 players was divided into five flights based on handicap index. The championship through second flights are playing from the same tees (5,990 yards, par 72) and are eligible for the overall championship. The third and fourth flights are playing the course as a par-72 from 5,550 yards. Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are members of a GSGA Member Club.

Final Results

 

Top Ten Overall
1 Laura Coble, Augusta 76 75 79 230 14
2 Ashley Medders, Alma 77 77 78 232 16
3 Kaley Branton, Cartersville 80 79 78 237 21
4 Amira Alexander, Alpharetta 82 80 77 239 23
5 Alei Mitchell, Waycross 79 81 81 241 25
6 Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell 80 79 84 243 27
T7 Danielle Davis, Saint Simons 79 83 83 245 29
T7 Dayana Marquez, Atlanta 86 78 81 245 29
T9 Abby Fitzgerald, Leesburg 85 81 81 247 31
T9 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 82 81 84 247 31

 

Championship Flight
1 Laura Coble, Augusta 76 75 79 230 14
2 Ashley Medders, Alma 77 77 78 232 16
3 Kaley Branton, Cartersville 80 79 78 237 21
4 Amira Alexander, Alpharetta 82 80 77 239 23
5 Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell 80 79 84 243 27
T6 Abby Fitzgerald, Leesburg 85 81 81 247 31
T6 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 82 81 84 247 31
8 Julie Criss, St. Simons Island 80 88 84 252 36
9 Blaire Minter, Marietta 84 88 83 255 39
10 Susan Rheney, Greensboro 85 96 84 265 49
11 Jane Duggan, Atlanta 86 85 95 266 50

 

First Flight
1 Alei Mitchell, Waycross 79 81 81 241 25
T2 Danielle Davis, Saint Simons 79 83 83 245 29
T2 Dayana Marquez, Atlanta 86 78 81 245 29
4 Kimberly Graff, Lilburn 83 80 85 248 32
5 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 92 83 76 251 35
6 Melissa Brody, Atlanta 86 86 81 253 37
7 Corrie Christensen, Norcross 88 81 91 260 44
8 Carry T Barbee, Cartersville 92 87 88 267 51
9 Mary Riley, Perry 88 84 96 268 52

 

Second Flight
1 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 82 82 86 250 34
T2 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 90 87 85 262 46
T2 Ellen Connors, Sharpsburg 91 88 83 262 46
4 Sue King, Chatsworth 91 89 89 269 53
T5 Jennifer King, Smyrna 90 98 86 274 58
T5 Kristie McCollister, Alpharetta 91 89 94 274 58
7 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 88 99 89 276 60
8 Sydney Dunning, Marietta 90 92 95 277 61
9 Caroline Seymour, Macon 100 91 89 280 64
10 Debbie Blount, Atlanta 94 100 90 284 68

 

Third Flight
1 Deana Atkins, Dacula 84 88 87 259 43
T2 Barbara Brown, Carrollton 94 84 86 264 48
T2 Lori Soles, Perry 88 87 89 264 48
T4 Eleanor Kirkland, Stockbridge 88 95 86 269 53
T4 Sandra Doyle, Dalton 98 84 87 269 53
T6 Gayle Gibson, Dacula 87 87 96 270 54
T6 Susan Clonts, Villa Rica 88 90 92 270 54
8 Cheryl Drewyer, Newnan 92 93 89 274 58
9 Katie Long, Cumming 99 98 89 286 70
10 Sandra Moody, Waynesboro 94 93 100 287 71
11 Sherry Huchet, Peachtree City 99 96 97 292 76

 

Fourth Flight
1 Suzanne Murray, Roswell 88 86 85 259 43
2 Deb Jackson, Smyrna 94 85 94 273 57
T3 Carole Cavanaugh, Sharpsburg 91 93 93 277 61
T3 Patti Karst, Smyrna 98 92 87 277 61
5 June Marbutt, Douglasville 95 95 94 284 68
6 Janet Norris, Eatonton 94 94 103 291 75
7 Diana Showalter, Clarkston 106 110 104 320 104