Huffer Wins Michigan PGA Women’s Open

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With a birdie-birdie finish, Denver’s Becca Huffer (above) pulled away from a three-way tie to win the 2014 Michigan Women’s Open Title.

Huffer, a Symetra Tour professional started the day tied with Kimberly Dinh of Midland, and Ashlan Ramsey of Milledgeville, Ga. The trio entered the 17th still tied before Huffer sank a 25 foot downhill putt for birdie. Huffer followed that with another birdie on 18.

The day had been interrupted for three hours and 40 minutes for a rain delay.

Dinh, who had set a course and tournament record with a 62 in the opening round, finished as low amateur, in a tie for second with professional Ramsey.

Full press release and results below:

BECCA HUFFER’S BIRDIE-BIRDIE FINISH WINS MICHIGAN PGA WOMEN’S OPEN

THOMPSONVILLE – During the three hours and 40 minutes of rain delay Denver’s Becca Huffer tried to focus on one simple thought.

“I just kept thinking I will need some birdies to finish up,” she said.

And that’s what she did. Huffer, a former University of Notre Dame golf team captain and 23-year-old Symetra Tour professional birdied the final two holes to break away from a three-way tie and win the Michigan PGA Women’s Open Championship Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge Course at Crystal Mountain Resort.

“When we went to 17 all tied I knew it was time to make something happen if I wanted to finish strong,” she said. “That putt on 17 was the huge one I think. It was 20, 25-feet downhill and when I hit it I was like ‘oh boy, I hope it goes in.’”

The birdie on the par 3 17th followed by a birdie on par 5 18th gave Huffer a 2-under-par closing 70 for an 11-under-par 205 total, the Crystal trophy and a $5,500 first-place check that will help as she heads to Harris, Mich., for the next Symetra Tour stop Friday through Sunday.

Kimberly Dinh of Midland, the University of Wisconsin golfer who set a course and tournament record with a 62 in the opening round, and Ashlan Ramsey of Milledgeville, Ga., a recent Curtis Cup player who was playing in her first pro event, each closed with 72s for 207 and a tie for second.

Dinh was the low amateur for the second consecutive year, and Ramsey, 18 and a top-ranked amateur golfer in recent years, made $4,500 in her pro debut.

They had started the day tied with Huffer for the lead and battled through the first 16 holes and the rain delay only to find it was a three-way tie again.

“I played pretty steady, but Becca played very steady and made the birdies when they really counted,” Dinh said. “I would have liked to win, but I take a lot of positives away from this. It motivates me to get better and better.”

Ramsey said she was pleased to have a chance to win with two holes to go in her first professional event, and feels the experience will help her as she moves on in her career.

“I feel like I could have played a lot better,” she said. “There were a lot of things I could have done better, but that is how golf is and obviously two birdies is hard to beat. Becca made the birdies at the right time. I take the good from this and work on my ball-striking.”

For Huffer it was her second win of the year to go with a Cactus Tour event, but she said the biggest since she won the Colorado Open last year. Her current status on the Symetra Tour, aided by a third-place finish earlier this season in Arizona, puts her full-time the rest of the schedule.

“It feels awesome to win,” she said. “I got it done today, and that feels so great. The money helps because every little bit helps, and I knew I was playing well the last few weeks and this just proves I’m doing the right things.”

Also making her professional debut was former Michigan State standout Allyssa Ferrell from Edgerton, Wis. She shot a closing 70 for 211 and fourth place.

Ashley Tail, another Colorado pro from Littleton, shot 71 for 212 and fifth place.

Aimee Neff of Carmel, Ind., the assistant women’s golf coach at Michigan State, shot 73 and was among four golfers who shot 214. Hannah Collier of Birmingham, Ala., shot 68 to join that group, and also there was Olivia Jordan-Higgins of the United Kingdom and Grosse Pointe Shores pro Samantha Troyanovich, who each shot 74s.

Visit http://www.michiganpgagolf.com for more information and follow the Michigan PGA on Facebook.

Visit http://www.crystalmountain.com for more information and follow Crystal Mountain Resort on Facebook and Twitter.

Place Name Representing R1 R2 R3 To Par Total
1 Becca Huffer Denver, CO 71 64 70 -11 205
T2 Kimberly Dinh(a) Midland, MI 62 73 72 -9 207
Ashlan Ramsey Milledgeville, GA 67 68 72 -9 207
4 Allyssa Ferrell Edgerton, WI 70 71 70 -5 211
5 Ashely Tait Littleton, CO 68 73 71 -4 212
T6 Olivia Jordan-Higgins Jersey, United Kingdom 70 70 74 -2 214
Hannah Collier Birmingham, AL 69 77 68 -2 214
Aimee Neff Carmel, IN 70 71 73 -2 214
Samantha Troyanovich Gross Pointe Shores, MI 71 69 74 -2 214
10 Amanda Steinhagen Oak Hill, VA 73 69 73 -1 215
11 Lindsey McPherson(a) Flushing, MI 71 75 70 Even 216
T12 Melanie Audette Lakeland, FL 71 71 75 1 217
Marina Choi Los Angeles, CA 70 75 72 1 217
14 Hannah Pietila(a) Brighton, MI 71 73 74 2 218
15 Kelly Hartigan(a) Lake Orion, MI 73 68 78 3 219
T16 Sue Ertl Bradenton, FL 72 73 75 4 220
Rachael Schmidt Elk River, MN 72 75 73 4 220
T18 Clarissa Childs Columbia, SC 73 75 73 5 221
Emily Flanigan Windermere, FL 73 72 76 5 221
T20 Elizabeth Nagel Dewitt, MI 72 77 73 6 222
Gabrielle Shipley(a) Hastings, MI 72 74 76 6 222
Alicia Weber(a) Northville, MI 76 74 72 6 222
Gabrielle Yurik(a) Oakland, MI 70 75 77 6 222
Rachel Powers Quincy, IL 71 75 76 6 222
Sybil Robinson(a) Dublin, OH 77 71 74 6 222
T26 Xyra Suyetsugu Fountain Hills, AZ 77 71 75 7 223
Alexa Rancourt Simpsonville, SC 72 76 75 7 223
Alex Schulte Roosevelt, UT 76 75 72 7 223
29 Kaitlyn Watkins(a) Frankenmuth, MI 75 74 75 8 224
30 Lily Pendy(a) Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 77 74 75 10 226
T31 Colleen McSween Albany, NY 74 76 77 11 227
Taylor Slagle Southlake, TX 77 76 74 11 227
T33 Trisha Witherby(a) Richmond, IN 74 76 78 12 228
Natalia Ghilzon Windsor, ONT 75 73 80 12 228
Hailey Hrynewich(a) Norton Shores, MI 73 76 79 12 228
T36 Maddelyn Zack(a) Poway, CA 72 77 81 14 230
Carolyn Markley(a) Maineville, OH 81 75 74 14 230
T38 Alexandria Buelow Palm City, FL 78 74 79 15 231
Carolina Perez Scottsdale, AZ 81 76 74 15 231
40 Morgan Smith(a) Norton Shores, MI 79 71 82 16 232
41 Danielle Crilley(a) East Lansing, MI 77 81 75 17 233
T42 Andrea Cropper(a) Nashville, TN 79 74 81 18 234
Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll(a) Haslett, MI 76 76 82 18 234
Melissa Yeazell West Chester, OH 77 83 74 18 234
Emma Salata(a) Ann Arbor, MI 77 79 78 18 234
46 Chelsea Collura(a) Riverview, MI 80 79 76 19 235
T47 Margie Muzik-Curtis Naperville, IL 74 84 79 21 237
Piyathida Chaiyapan Toledo, OH 75 84 78 21 237
T49 Alexis Biedrzycki(a) Chicago, IL 80 76 82 22 238
T49 Jaylee Tait(a) Littleton, CO 79 77 82 22 238
Sarah Thompson(a) Canton, MI 77 75 86 22 238
52 Candra Sumedhatip Las Vegas, NV 80 79 81 24 240
53 Emmie Pietila(a) Brighton, MI 79 83 79 25 241
54 Mariah Massa(a) Holt, MI 84 75 83 26 242
T55 Marianna Stepp(a) Rochester Hills, MI 82 80 81 27 243
Corie Hou Fountain Hills, AZ 76 83 84 27 243
Julie Guckian(a) Linden, MI 80 82 81 27 243
T58 Brandi Studer(a) Essexville, MI 80 85 80 29 245
Jacqueline Schram(a) White Lake, MI 85 77 83 29 245
60 Nichole Cox(a) Empire, MI 81 79 86 30 246
T61 Michelle Boogaard Wyoming, MI 87 74 86 31 247
Esther Moon Greenbrier, TN 86 81 80 31 247
63 Tenley Shield(a) Grosse Pointe Park, MI 80 80 89 33 249
64 Molly Esordi(a) Grosse Ile, MI 82 82 86 34 250
65 Janie Fineis(a) East Lansing, MI 92 85 88 49 265

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