Elyria’s Porter advances in Ohio Women’s Amateur golf tournament
Jerry Rombach | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — One hurdle down, Alexa Porter is looking forward to meeting an old friend today in the second round of the 85th Ohio Women’s Amateur at Elyria Country Club.
Porter, a former Elyria Catholic star golfer, downed Lindsay Steiner of Hamilton, 3 and 2, in the first round of the championship flight Tuesday. Today she will tee off in the second round at 9:52 a.m., against Frederique Bruell of Shaker Heights who beat Springfield’s Leslie Grabeman, 1-up.
Porter, now playing golf for Memphis University, has known Bruell since she was 13, when they met playing in the Ohio Juniors tournament.
“I like her a lot,” Porter said. “She plays for Elon University in North Carolina and we’ve run into each other many times over the years. The last time we played golf together was in February of this year in a college tournament at Campbell (N.C.).”
Most of the other area golfers did not fare well in the opening round Tuesday. In the Championship Flight Katie Gallagher of Olmsted Falls lost to Lakewood’s Jill Stupiansky, 3 and 2, and Mary Lynn Sertich of Avon Lake dropped a match to Canton’s Suzi Spotelson, 5 and 3.
In the first flight, though, Laurel Friesen of Westlake advanced to the second round with a win on the first playoff hole over Rocky River’s Sharon Hollis. In the second flight, Alexis Brent of Avon Lake downed Powell’s Natalie King in a 21-hole marathon.
But all the other area golfers dropped first-round matches and will play in the consolation flights today. Erin Craig of Lorain lost to Dayton’s Lynn Grunkemeyer, 4 and 3, in the first flight, while in second-flight action Mary Ann Landgraf of Wellington fell to Megan Keating (no score posted) and Elizabeth Smith of Avon Lake lost to Gates Mill’s Lynn Cross, 1-up.
Porter was up three holes and ready to clinch on No. 15 when Steiner rallied with a third shot to 10 feet to set up a birdie putt, cutting the deficit to two.
But Porter clinched it after a tremendous 270-yard drive off the 16th tee, followed by a 6-iron to the edge of the green. She then two-putted for birdie.
“I really overcooked that a bit,” Porter said of the drive. She played pretty well all day although she was stunned on the ninth hole.
“It was kind of funny,” Porter said. “She had a 20-foot putt while I was within 4 feet. But she drained it while I missed my putt. It was a whole switcheroo.
“Except for that one putt I putted pretty well today. In fact, I’ve been putting pretty well all week. I haven’t had a three-putt all week, knock on wood. I’m a firm believer it all comes down to putting. My putting has improved tremendously since I’ve been in college. My coach has stressed that a lot. Today I had only 13 putts on the front nine and 11 on the back with two holes to play.”
Porter won the first, second, third, fifth, eighth, 12th and 16th holes, losing only on the seventh, ninth, 10th and 15th. They tied the fourth, sixth, 11th, 13th and 14th.
This is Porter’s second appearance in the Ohio Women’s Amateur — the first was two years ago at Mayfield when she was a senior at Elyria Catholic.
“I got killed in the first round,” she said. “That was my first match-play competition ever. Match play is a mental game. Today I played pretty well, playing calm and consistent.”
In today’s consolation bracket in the championship flight, Gallagher is paired with Sertich at 10:48. In the first-flight consolation, Craig will meet Massillon’s Stephanie Schwertner at 12:16. In the second flight, Smith tees off against Fairfield’s Kelly Gaughhan at 11:52 and Landgraf will meet Cincinnati’s Maggie Sahms at noon.
Still alive for a title in the first flight, Friesen will tee off today at 8:40 a.m. against Copley’s Carly Arison, and in the second flight Brent faces Medina’s Renee Dietz at 8:24.
Two-time defending champion Emma Jandel of Dayton easily advanced to the second round by beating Katie Jurenovich, 4 and 3.
After today’s round, the field in each flight will be cut to eight before the tournament wraps up Thursday and Friday with 36-hole showdowns.
Contact Jerry Rombach at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Jerry Rombach | The Chronicle-Telegram July 23rd, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 7% |
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