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| DeGroodt shoots 71 to take title at Women's-Am / Mid-Am |
July 14
ROME - Victoria DeGroodt set
personal and course records
Thursday at Rome Country Club,
posting an impressive 1-under-par
71 to erase a nine-stroke deficit to
win the New York State Women's
Amateur championship.
Even after a tough par save on the
18th hole, DeGroodt, who played in
the third-to-last group, didn't think
she had any chance of winning.
She thought, as did everyone else in
attendance, that the winner would
come from the last group, where
Danielle Fuss and Jillian Fraccola
were battling it out and enjoyed nice
cushion over the rest of the field.
But as DeGroodt was knocking in her
par save on 18, Fuss was struggling
to a triple-bogey seven on the 17th.
So after 17 holes, Fuss and
DeGroodt were two strokes back of
Fraccola.
On the par-4 finishing hole, Fraccola
hit her 3-wood tee shot out of
bounds left. Her next drive ended up
in the middle of a patch of trees,
leading to a chip out and a stunning
quintuple-bogey nine.
Fuss, just 16, still had a chance to
tie, but her par putt just missed and
DeGroodt was champion.
"It was a complete shock," said
DeGroodt, a three-time Secton IX
high school champion, who will
continue her golf career this fall at
the University of South Carolina
Beaufort.
"It is very exciting ... I thought I had a
shot for third after the round."
DeGroodt finished with a three-day
total of 226, one shot ahead of Fuss
and two clear of Fraccola.
Teresa Cleland finished fourth in the
overall competition and first in the
Mid-Amateur competition (women
over the age of 25).
Cleland finished second to Christy
Schultz the last two seasons. This
year she edged Schultz by three
strokes.
"It's a thrill to win it," Cleland said.
"Just to play in the final group was a
lot of fun ... I think I won because I
kept the ball in play and I had a good
feel for the pace of the greens,
especially the first two days."
Fraccola said the one thing she
wished she could take back was
being more aware of where she
stood after the 17th hole. She knew
she was close, but didn't realize she
had a two-stroke advantage.
"I didn't know exactly where I stood
versus Danielle," Fraccola said. "I
was so focused on just playing my
game. I wish I had known and maybe
I would have hit something less off
the tee."
It still was Fraccola's best finish at
the state-amateur. The University of
Richmond graduate, will play the U.S.
Amateur Qualifier Monday in York,
Pa., then go to LPGA Q School the
following week.
Fuss, a junior at Our Lady of Mercy
High School in Rochester, didn't
realize that she needed to make par
on the final hole to tie DeGroodt.
She had a quick putt and figured she
just had to two-putt to win over
Fraccola.
"I thought it was between the two of
us," Fuss said. "It was tough after 17,
but after she hit it out of bounds, I
knew I just had to hit a good drive
and I did. When I made the tap-in for
bogey, I thought I won. It's tough, but
that's the way the game goes."
DeGroodt began the day nine
behind Fuss and five back of
Fraccola. She was 2-over after
making bogey on the par-4 6th, but
she caught fire and dominated the
upcoming par-5s, starting with a
birdie on the par-5 8th. She then
made another birdie on the par-5
10th and holed an eagle-putt on the
par-5 11th to move to 2-under par
for her round.
After bogeying the par-3 14th,
DeGroodt parred out to post 71.
"Eleven was big, I hit a drive and
then drew a three wood to the middle
of the green," DeGroodt said.
Then, as she did most of Thursday,
she drilled the putt.
"My putts were all going in,"
DeGroodt said. "It was just one of
those rounds."
RESULTS: AMATEUR / MID-AM
ROME - Victoria DeGroodt set
personal and course records
Thursday at Rome Country Club,
posting an impressive 1-under-par
71 to erase a nine-stroke deficit to
win the New York State Women's
Amateur championship.
Even after a tough par save on the
18th hole, DeGroodt, who played in
the third-to-last group, didn't think
she had any chance of winning.
She thought, as did everyone else in
attendance, that the winner would
come from the last group, where
Danielle Fuss and Jillian Fraccola
were battling it out and enjoyed nice
cushion over the rest of the field.
But as DeGroodt was knocking in her
par save on 18, Fuss was struggling
to a triple-bogey seven on the 17th.
So after 17 holes, Fuss and
DeGroodt were two strokes back of
Fraccola.
On the par-4 finishing hole, Fraccola
hit her 3-wood tee shot out of
bounds left. Her next drive ended up
in the middle of a patch of trees,
leading to a chip out and a stunning
quintuple-bogey nine.
Fuss, just 16, still had a chance to
tie, but her par putt just missed and
DeGroodt was champion.
"It was a complete shock," said
DeGroodt, a three-time Secton IX
high school champion, who will
continue her golf career this fall at
the University of South Carolina
Beaufort.
"It is very exciting ... I thought I had a
shot for third after the round."
DeGroodt finished with a three-day
total of 226, one shot ahead of Fuss
and two clear of Fraccola.
Teresa Cleland finished fourth in the
overall competition and first in the
Mid-Amateur competition (women
over the age of 25).
Cleland finished second to Christy
Schultz the last two seasons. This
year she edged Schultz by three
strokes.
"It's a thrill to win it," Cleland said.
"Just to play in the final group was a
lot of fun ... I think I won because I
kept the ball in play and I had a good
feel for the pace of the greens,
especially the first two days."
Fraccola said the one thing she
wished she could take back was
being more aware of where she
stood after the 17th hole. She knew
she was close, but didn't realize she
had a two-stroke advantage.
"I didn't know exactly where I stood
versus Danielle," Fraccola said. "I
was so focused on just playing my
game. I wish I had known and maybe
I would have hit something less off
the tee."
It still was Fraccola's best finish at
the state-amateur. The University of
Richmond graduate, will play the U.S.
Amateur Qualifier Monday in York,
Pa., then go to LPGA Q School the
following week.
Fuss, a junior at Our Lady of Mercy
High School in Rochester, didn't
realize that she needed to make par
on the final hole to tie DeGroodt.
She had a quick putt and figured she
just had to two-putt to win over
Fraccola.
"I thought it was between the two of
us," Fuss said. "It was tough after 17,
but after she hit it out of bounds, I
knew I just had to hit a good drive
and I did. When I made the tap-in for
bogey, I thought I won. It's tough, but
that's the way the game goes."
DeGroodt began the day nine
behind Fuss and five back of
Fraccola. She was 2-over after
making bogey on the par-4 6th, but
she caught fire and dominated the
upcoming par-5s, starting with a
birdie on the par-5 8th. She then
made another birdie on the par-5
10th and holed an eagle-putt on the
par-5 11th to move to 2-under par
for her round.
After bogeying the par-3 14th,
DeGroodt parred out to post 71.
"Eleven was big, I hit a drive and
then drew a three wood to the middle
of the green," DeGroodt said.
Then, as she did most of Thursday,
she drilled the putt.
"My putts were all going in,"
DeGroodt said. "It was just one of
those rounds."
RESULTS: AMATEUR / MID-AM
| NYSGA WOMEN'S AMATEUR - FINAL ROUND |
More Coverage
First Round
Second Round
Second Round
Photo Gallery
Final Scores:
Amateur
Mid-Amateur
First Round
Second Round
Second Round
Photo Gallery
Final Scores:
Amateur
Mid-Amateur
| Crazy finish as leaders falter late at Rome Country Club |
ABOVE: Victoria DeGroodt watches the flight of her
drive off the 17th tee during Thursday's final round
of the New York State Women's-Amateur /
Mid-Amateur at Rome Country Club. DeGroodt shot
1-under 71 to win the title by one stroke over
Danielle Fuss.
BELOW: Danielle Fuss chips to the 18th green.
drive off the 17th tee during Thursday's final round
of the New York State Women's-Amateur /
Mid-Amateur at Rome Country Club. DeGroodt shot
1-under 71 to win the title by one stroke over
Danielle Fuss.
BELOW: Danielle Fuss chips to the 18th green.
ABOVE: Christy Schultz watches her tee shot on the 17th hole.
BELOW: Jillian Fraccola hits her approach to the par-4 17th hole. Fraccola finished in solo
third place.
BELOW: Jillian Fraccola hits her approach to the par-4 17th hole. Fraccola finished in solo
third place.
ABOVE: Teresa Cleland, using her unique
side-saddle putting stroke hits a putt on the par-4
17th hole. Cleland won the Mid-Amateur division by
three strokes over two-time defending champion,
Christy Schultz.
BELOW: Cleland (left) and DeGroodt right pose
with their trophies after the tournament.
side-saddle putting stroke hits a putt on the par-4
17th hole. Cleland won the Mid-Amateur division by
three strokes over two-time defending champion,
Christy Schultz.
BELOW: Cleland (left) and DeGroodt right pose
with their trophies after the tournament.
