Michigan Golf Journal August 2019

By Tom Lang 29 August 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com Sarah Shipley didn’t let a two-stroke penalty for hitting from a wrong tee box on the sixth hole in the GAM Women’s Championship ruin her tournament.   The Hastings resident and University of Kentucky golfer shot a 1-under 70 despite the penalty and won the 28th GAM Women’s Championship presented by Global Golf Post at Saginaw Country Club.   “It was early enough in the round that I didn’t get that worked up about it,” she said after the four-shot win over 2017 champion Kerri Parks of Flushing and Marshall University and Yurika Tanida of MSU, who tied for second.    “It was frustrating, but I had birdied a couple of holes and knew I had a cushion. Plus, I knew there were more birdies out there.”    Shipley’s closing 70 gave her a two-day total of 4-under 138. Parks, who rallied with a 6-under 65, and Tanida, who shot a second consecutive 71, tied at even-par 142. Defending champion Allyson Geer-Park of Brighton and MSU finished fourth and Katie Chipman of Flushing and Grand Valley State University was fifth.   Shipley said she was in conversation with playing partners Slobodnik-Stoll and Deardorff when she stepped to what she thought was the No. 6 tee and hit a shot. Deardorff then stepped on the tee and noticed it was not the correct tee. WOMEN’s WESTERN WIN: Shipley took her expanded confidence factor into the Women’s Western Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne CC, outside Chicago. The Women’s Western Open is one of the country’s most prestigious and has been played continuously since 1901. Shipley defeated Antonia Matte of Santiago, Chile, 5-and-3 to win the coveted championship. Shipley started out hot by scoring birdies on the 1 st , 2 nd and 8 th holes and never lost a hole the entire match. Both competitors outlasted golfers from 30 states and 12 countries to reach the final. Shipley beat Maria Bohorquez of Bogota, Columbia in the semifinals, 2-and-1. Sarah Shipley a Double Winner Hastings native wins GAM Women’s Championship and the Women’s Western Amateur Sarah Shipley