By Greg Johnson
THOMPSONVILLE – Tristyn Nowlin said she had an absolute blast at Crystal Mountain, and she was going to call home to Richmond, Ky., and tell her dad, Phil, all about it.
“It feels so awesome,” she said in reaction to winning the 28th Michigan Women’s Open Championship in just her second professional tournament Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge course. “I’m just starting this whole process as a professional and I’m definitely taking one day, one step at a time but I do have big goals.”
Nowlin, who just finished her college career at the University of Illinois and has started graduate school, trailed Northwestern University golfer Kelly Sim of Edgewater, N.J., by three shots when the final round started.
She shot a final 3-under 69 for a 10-under 210 total, won by two shots and took home the $6,500 first-place check. The tournament was a good mixture of pros with many college players at the top.
“I’ve been saying this entire time that what I can win in the state opens this summer I’m going to use the money for Q-School (LPGA, Symetra Tour qualifying in the fall), so I’m very, very thankful for the chance to play in this great tournament at this beautiful place and great course and very, very excited.”
Sim, who shot a 74 and has one year left with the Wildcats, and Ashley Lau, a University of Michigan golfer from Malaysia who shot 71, tied for second at 208 and were also co-low amateurs in the championship.
Sarah White of Caledonia, home from the Symetra Tour, was next at 210 after a closing 72, and took second-place money among the professionals.
Anika Dy of Traverse City and U-M, the 2019 Women’s Open champion who shot 72, was among the group at 212, officially tied for seventh, as was Hastings mini-tour player Gabrielle Shipley, who shot 65, the low round of the day.
Nowlin had two birdies on the front nine to give chase and took the lead and kept it at No. 14 where Sim’s tee shot found the trees right of the fairway leading to a punch out and eventual double-bogey 6.
She had a two-shot lead going to No. 17, but three-putted from 40 feet to hold just a one-shot lead heading to the par 5 18th. She wrapped things up with a birdie to finish.
“Honestly I was just playing smart, playing to my strengths and I know what my strengths are,” she said. “My distance control with my irons was pretty solid. I wasn’t rolling in many putts. The pin at 17 was tough and I misjudged the speed on that first putt, but I was able to hit one close on 18. It was just smart golf. The course was set up tougher today. Smart golf worked.”
Nowlin, who is off to the Illinois Women’s Open in Naperville, Ill., also called the week a learning experience.
