Shelton
Triplett
Lee University All-American Courtney Shelton and Polk County High School senior Lydia Triplett both claimed victories in the first day of match play at the Foxwood Harbor Golf Course, while former Amateur champion Maggie Scott and Lady Flame sophomore Madison Alexander came out on the short end of their opening matches.
All four are back in action today with Shelton advancing to the Round of 16 in the Championship Flight, while Triplett is in the semifinals of the Second Flight. Scott and Alexander opened play in the Championship Flight consolation bracket.
Seeded 22nd after a qualifying round 77, Shelton claimed a 3 and 2 victory over 11th seeded Beth Miller of Collierville on Tuesday. The Franklin native teed off this morning against Oakland’s Ashley Averitt, a No. 27 seed who posted a 2 and 1 upset of sixth-seeded Shelby Sain of Bolivar.
Playing in her first Women’s Amateur, Triplett bounced back from a qualifying round 91 and a seventh seed, to knock off second-seeded Deanna Woods of Lebanon 4 and 3 Tuesday. The two-time TSSAA state tournament participant faced off with third-seeded Janice Sauter of Nashville in a Final 4 match this morning. A veteran of the Women’s Senior Championships, Sauter whipped Mount Juliet’s Debbie Walker Mayfield 8 and 6 on Tuesday.
Scott was plus 2 at the turn Tuesday but found herself in a deep hole to Middle Tennessee State University golfer Olivia Love. “I was playing good but had missed a couple of three-footers (putts),” she related. “She’s (Love) a very good player. She was hitting some great iron shots. It was fun to watch.”
“After 12 holes we were a combined 6-under but I was down seven holes and the match was over,” commented Scott, who has played in the Championship Flight 34 of her 36 Women’s State Amateur events. “I played great Monday (shooting a 76 in the qualifying round). I was getting up and down and making some good putts. I felt good going into the match play but she (Love) played better today (Tuesday).”
Scott, Monday’s senior medalist, returned to the course this morning to face Ellen Mitchell of Memphis in the first round of the Championship consolation bracket. Mitchell dropped a 2-up match Tuesday to Lookout Mountain’s Mary Alice Murphy, the overall stroke play medalist in Monday’s qualifying round.
After firing a 2-over 74 in qualifying, Alexander fell to Manchester high schooler Jenna Burris 3 and 2 Tuesday, dropping her to the consolations as well. The Lee standout teed off against Cori Burns of Goodlettesville this morning. Burns dropped her match play opener 8 and 6 to fourth-seeded Allie Knight of Knoxville Tuesday.
Defending champion Kendall Martindale of Jefferson City won her opening match 7 and 5 against Cookeville’s Katya Hoffman and faced 17th seeded Sarah Harris from Hermitage in the Round of 16. The junior stroke play medalist, Chattanooga’s Blakesly Warren, also advances with an 8 and 7 victory over Jean Roise from Crossville.
