July 11, 2012
VASSALBORO, ME--ODU's Samantha Morrell finished one stroke back at the 56th New England Women's Golf Association Amateur tournament played at the Natanis Golf- Tomahawk Course.
Morrell shot 74-75-74 for 223, just one stroke behind tournament winner KristenMacdonald who fired 71-75-76=222. Third place finishers Pam Kuong of Charles River,and Katie Partridge of Wintonbury Hills were eight strokes behind Morrell at 233.
Macdonald, who entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Morrell, played the front nine even. Morrell, who won this tournament in 2010, was 2-over par 38 and faced a five-shot deficit at the turn.
"I knew I had to chip away," she said, "and I did." The turning point came on the 163-yard, par-3 13th.Macdonald three-putted for a double bogey after her tee shot went too far left. Morrell, meanwhile, saved par with a nice up-and-down.
Morrell capitalized on another Macdonald misfortune when she buried a 15-foot birdie putt that erased Macdonald's lead."I made a great run," Morrell said. "I got it down to two shots and then I got even. I had some momentum."
But she never grabbed the lead.Macdonald grabbed the lead for good when she parred the par 4 16th while Morrell missed a short putt for par and settled for a bogey.
Samantha will next compete in The Royale Canadian Women's Amateur Championship, which takes place at the Lethbridge Country Club, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, July 23-26.
FINAL RESULTSNEWGA at Natanis (top 10 finishers)
1 MA Kristen MacDonald, Tomson CC 71-75-76--2222 RI Samantha Morrell, Laurel Lane CC 74-75-74--2233 MA Pam Kuong, Charles River CC 79-77-75--231 SR4 CT Katie Partridge, Wintonbury Hills GC 77-78-78--2335 CT Jen Holland, Lyman Orchards GC 75-76-82--2336 NH Lisanne Schmidt, Eastman Golf Links 82-77-76--2357 RI Ali Prazak, Green Valley CC 80-78-77--2358 MA Alison Eleey, Granite Links GC 72-86-78--2369 MA Annette Gaiotti S, Olde Barnstable GC 76-81-80--237 SR10 MA Rita Bedard, Glen Ellen CC 78-73-87--238