Mastodons Drop Opener 2-3 at Match Play Event

Monday, February 9

Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Western Michigan

Mastodons Drop Opener 2-3 at Match Play Event

2/9/2015 9:46:00 PM | Women's Golf

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. - In the closest first-round match at the Women's Mid-American Match Play Challenge, the IPFW women's golf team came one hole away from upsetting No. 2 seed Western Michigan, falling 2-3. The second round match against Ohio was postponed due to weather.

Played at the par-72 Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club: Royal Lakes Course, the tournament is being played at 6,068 yards. During match play, total score is not recorded, however golfers compete hole-by-hole. The player that holes their ball in fewer strokes wins the hole. A match is won when one side leads by a number of holes greater than the number remaining to be played.

The match came down to the final hole between the top group, but a comeback by Allison Curtis came up just short. Curtis dropped the first hole, before recording a birdie on the par-3 No. 4 to square the match. Western Michigan's Kaitlyn Watkins won back-to-back holes to lead by two, with six holes remaining. Curtis won the No. 16 hole with a par, but both players recorded par on the final two holes and Curtis fell 1-up.

In the first match of the day, the No. 5 pairing, Candi Keller fell to Laura Moutrey 4 & 3.

In the fourth match, Ashton Taft never trailed as she defeated Anna Wilcoxson 3 & 1. Taft won the second hole, and two of the next three. Wilcoxson made the match all square on No. 12, but Taft regained the lead on the next hole and won the point.

Sydney Bailey had an early lead in the third pairing, winning holes 2 and 5. The Broncos' Chloe Lawrie won back-to-back holes to take the lead for the first time in the match. Bailey battled back from two holes down, winning three of the next four to take a one-hole lead. After Lawrie won the next two, Bailey carded a par on the final hole to end the match all square.

Brenna Sherwood had a similar match at the No. 2 spot against her opponent Julia Champion. Sherwood won the opening hole before Champion made the match all square. Sherwood dropped Nos. 8, 9, and 11 to trail by three. Refusing to give in, Sherwood fought back to win four of the next five holes to square the score.

The postponed match against Ohio will begin at 7:30 a.m. off the No. 10 tee and will be played as a nine-hole match.

~ Feel the Rumble ~