Golf Showdown: Florida, Georgia, and Alabama Battle in Day One of Matches
The first day of matches was action packed as Florida, Georgia, and Alabama faced off against each other. The morning brought the Four-Ball matches and the afternoon brought Foursomes. At the end of the day, Team Georgia leads with a total of 7.5 points, Alabama with 6.5 points, and Florida with 4 points.
Four-Ball Matches
Florida took the lead after the morning matches were completed earning three total points. Alabama did not trail far behind earning two points, and Georgia with one point. The team of Mary Jane Hiestand and Gigi Higgins took an early lead, making the turn at three up over Alabama’s, Susan West and Cym Doggett. West/Doggett fought back on the back nine winning the 11th and 12th holes to diminish the deficit to only one down with six holes to play. However, a par on the 17th hole from Hiestand/Higgins sealed the deal as the pair went two up with one to play to capture the first point for Team Florida.
Chloe Kovelesky and Caroline Patterson teamed up for the morning match and spent the first 12 holes fluctuating between a tied match and being one up on Georgia’s, Kate Song and Erin Packer. However, consecutive wins on the 12th and 13th hole led to Kovelesky/Patterson taking the lead to two up for the first time all day and they never gave it back. The pair finished the match on the 17th hole 3&1 capturing the second point for Team Florida.
The final Team Florida point came almost simultaneously as the second from the pair of Ashley Zagers and Lauren Clark. The duo played yet another close match throughout the majority of the first nine against Alabama’s, Lauren Thompson and Grace Engel. Yet, Zagers and Clark took the lead two up on the 12th hole and extended that lead with a win on the 16th to finish the match 3&2.
In addition, Linda Jeffrey and Lea Green from Alabama defeated Danielle Davis and Kirstyl Sunderman from Georgia 2 up. Sarah Gallagher and Deb Jackson of Georgia defeated Kathy Glennon and Kim Keyer-Scott of Florida. Finally, Jinger Heath and Molly Brown Davidson of Alabama defeated Mikayla Dubnik and Mary Miller of Georgia 4&3.
Foursomes
The afternoon matches were interrupted by a thunderstorm. Yet, once the round resumed it was anyone’s game. Florida took an early lead in several matches, but the tables seemed to turn on the back nine. Mary Jane Hiestand and Kathy Glennon teamed up against Linda Jeffery and Lea Green of Alabama, and Sarah Gallagher and Deb Jackson of Georgia. However, Hiestand and Glennon fell short of the win 2&1 to Georgia, and 3&1 to Alabama.
Gigi Higgins and Kim Keyer-Scott made up a team and faced Susan West and Cym Doggett of Alabama, and Danielle Davis and Kristyl Sunderman of Georgia. Yet, Higgins and Keyer-Scott also fell short of grabbing a win to Alabama or Georgia.
The first point for Team Florida for the afternoon matches came from the team of Caroline Patterson and Lauren Clark. The duo defeated Grace Engel and Lauren Thompson of Alabama 4&2. However, they fell short and fell to Team Georgia on the last hole. Finally, Ashley Zagers and Chloe Kovelesky were defeated by Georgia and Alabama.
Tomorrow brings the three-ball matches to see who will raise the trophy!