Anika Dy, Ariel Chang Share Lead at Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship

 SAGINAW – University of Michigan golfer Anika Dy of Traverse City and Ariel Chang of Macomb, who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy in the fall, shared the lead through the first round of stroke play in the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship at Saginaw Country Club presented by Carl’s Golfland.

  Dy, who won the Michigan Women’s Open Championship in 2019, and Chang, last summer’s Michigan Junior Girls State Amateur Champion, each opened with 1-under rounds of 70.

  They will lead the field through a second round of stroke play Tuesday to determine the 32 golfers who advance to match play. Match play continues through Friday to determine a champion.

Dy said she played a lot of birdie-bogey golf in the round.

  “I didn’t play much this season for college golf so it’s my first tournament back in a while,” she said of her freshman season. “I was just looking forward to seeing my friends and competing again. I didn’t really have many expectations with it being my first tournament this summer. The nerves are definitely there, which is good. I’m embracing it and hopefully it goes well.”

   Dy said she likes match play, which bodes well for later in the week.

  “I’m not going to put expectations on myself,” she said. “I’m just going to play and see where it goes.”  

   Chang said her short game saved her round.

   “My irons were not too hot, but my chipping and putting gave me my good score,” she said. “I like the greens here. They are in really great shape.”

  Chang said her goal for the week was to get past the round of 16 and see what happens.

  “That’s where I reached last year, and I want to improve on that,” she said.

   Katie Potter, who led South Lyon High to a state championship last fall, shot even-par 71, and was followed closely by defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and Grand Blanc’s Kate Brody, who each shot 72. Oakland University golfer Veronica Haque of Rochester Hills rounded out the top six with a 73.

  Potter, who has committed to Marshall University, said it was nice to kick off the summer tournament season with a good round.

  “I think my putting was the best part for me,” she said. “I definitely had a lot of fun with the people I played with, and the course is in great shape.”

   A pair of hole-in-ones added some additional excitement to the first round. Mandy Ehrlich of Grand Rapids aced No. 4, which was played at 110 yards Monday, and Emme Lantis of Corunna had her hole-in-one on No. 10, which was playing at 135 yards.

INFORMATION, TEE TIMES, RESULTS: Visit GAM.org

via Greg Johnson