Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408140012
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HOT SPRINGS LENGTH: Long
Because, yes, indeed, she is the 1994 U.S. Women's Amateur champion.
On a day when she proved to be as pesky as the gnats that engulf The Homestead's Cascades Course, Ward captured the biggest prize in women's amateur golf Saturday, beating defending champion Jill McGill 2 and 1 in the 94th Women's Am finals.
"This all hasn't sunk in yet, but I think it might the next two days," Ward said. "My parents and I are driving back to San Antonio, and I'm pretty sure somewhere down the road what's happened here will finally hit me."
One could have slapped the 20-year-old Texan in the head with a 5-iron Saturday night and she probably never would have felt it.
"When you're growing up playing golf as a kid, you sorta dream about doing something like this one day," Ward said. "And my dream came true."
It wasn't easy, not by any means. After playing two rounds of qualifying and winning five matches - a total of 114 holes - over five days to get to the finals, Ward found herself dead even with McGill through 33 holes Saturday.
Then, in a span of 20 minutes, everything turned in Ward's favor.
Ward drained a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th - the match's 34th hole - to take the lead, then clinched it at the par-5 17th when she made par to McGill's bogey.
"I think the birdie putt at No. 16 was the turning point," said Ward, the 1994 NCAA runner-up from Arizona State.
"I felt Jill would make her's (a 12-foot birdie attempt) right before me. I was figuring I needed a birdie to get out of the hole even with her."
Down one with two to play, McGill elected to gamble somewhat on her tee shot at the 17th, trying to launch it over the trees down the leftside, where if successful, she would be pretty much a lock to be able to get home in two shots.
But McGill's tee shot was interrupted in flight by a tree limb, which, fortunately for her, kicked the ball out of the woods and down into heavy, but playable rough.
Minutes later that good break was erased by a bad break. McGill's second shot - a 7-iron - also got tangled in a limb, and the ball plopped down beside the cart path, still 210 yards short of the green.
McGill chipped her third shot to the middle of fairway, leaving her 145 yards to the green. Meanwhile. Ward was only 30 yards short in only two shots.
After McGill hit her fourth to the front fringe, Ward pitched her ball to 10 feet in three. After McGill's 35-foot par effort turned right of the hole, Ward cozied her birdie putt up to the cup and tapped in for the championship.
The butcher job at the 17th dashed McGill's hopes at becoming the first player to win back-to-back women's amateurs since Kay Cockerill in 1986-87.
"I was trying to go for (17th green) in two," McGill said. "I had reached it both days in qualifying.
"I guess the (tee) shot on 17 will haunt me. It was probably one of the worst shots I hit all day long."
McGill, who faced Ward in Pacific 10 wars at Southern Cal, was betrayed by her driver. The 6-foot blonde bomber hit only six fairways in the afternoon 18.
"I didn't hit the ball particularly well today," McGill said. "For some reason or another, I never felt it was really mine. I wasn't there 115 percent, like I usually am in match play. I wasn't able to bear down and hit the shots when I had to. Why? I don't know why."
The tournament marked the amateur swan song for McGill, who plans to send in her application to turn professional on Monday. The Denver native already is being courted by endorsement offers.
"It's time," she said. "Besides, can't afford to play amateur golf anymore."
While McGill is busy going pro Monday, Ward will be on the road, making the 1,400-mile hike to San Antonio.
"I got to hold the trophy up, but I haven't had time to read any of the names on it," she said. "It's going to take a long time to get home, so I'm sure I will have the time to check it out. I know it's going to feel good to see my name on there."
SAND BLASTS: Neither player never led by more than 2-up. The match was all even after the morning 18. McGill led 2-up after three holes of the afternoon round, only to watch Ward take four of the next six holes, including three straight from holes Nos. 25-27. ... Ward was 2-over for 35 holes, McGill 4-over. ... Before Saturday, McGill had won 16 straight in match play, dating back to last year's Broadmoor Invitational semifinals. She had been 23-1 since last year's U.S. Amateur. ... The USGA announced after Saturday's finals that Ward, Sarah Ingram of Nashville, Tenn., and Hollins College graduate Carol Semple Thompson will represent on the U.S. in the World Cup, to be played in September in France.
by CNB