It took a playoff hole, but Simon Fraser University’s Michelle Waters delivered a birdie to claim the medalist honour and lead her team to the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s golf championship in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
A sophomore from Qualicum Beach, Waters shook off a tough second day which saw her swing from Monday’s low round of 3-over par to a plus-6 on Tuesday, drawing into a dead-heat with Saint Martin’s Jennifer Liedes.
In the lead for the first time on the university circuit, Waters couldn’t hold back a furious charge by the St. Martin’s senior, who began the final day in 14th place but rose to a tie for top spot with a tourney low even-par.
That took the individual women’s title to a playoff on the course’s par-5, 499-yard first hole. Waters drained a six-foot birdie putt, while Liedes, the 2015 GNAC co-golfer of the year, salvaged a shot from in the trees with a strong chip shot to land eight feet from the hole. Her birdie attempt ran too long.
“Honestly I have never been in that situation before,” said Waters. “I led on the first day and I had never been in that spot, either, so leading up to the playoff I was very nervous on the first tee.”
She finished the two-day tourney at 9-over 151 (74, 77).
SFU claimed the team title with an eight-stroke advantage over Western Washington, 617 to 625.
The Clan pulled away in the final three holes to compile a GNAC record two-round team score of 617 and win the program’s first team championship. It also ended a string of five straight titles for Western Washington, dating back to the start of GNAC women’s golf in 2011.
“The second day it was kind of new for us (leading), a position we’d never been in before,” remarked New Westminster native and fellow sophomore Breanna Croxen. “We were a little nervous but we knew we had a good chance at breaking Western Washington’s six-peat bid.”
Tied for third overall was SFU’s Kylie Jack, who recovered from an opening round of 8-over 79 to shoot 3-over 74 and place two shots back of the co-leaders.
Despite reflecting some of the nervousness the team had felt entering the final round, Waters withstood the pressure of the playoff to stay on track, said Croxen.
“The playoff was pretty exciting,” Croxen noted. “They were neck-and-neck and basically had similar lies after their first shots... (Waters) sank her birdie shot and we were super-excited for her, pouring water on her.
“(Waters) is one of our hardest working players on our team, so it was great to see that rewarded.”
Croxen finished in a tie for 10th with teammate Belinda Lin at 158. Lin was consistent over both rounds, firing identical 79s; Croxen, who graduated from St. Thomas More, began the final round tied for second overall after an opening 76 but struggled on Day 2 with an 82.
