Returning Favorites Advance in Shortened Day at Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur

Returning Favorites Advance in Shortened Day at Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur

  EAST LANSING – Hot play was extinguished by the smoke of Canadian Wildfires which caused afternoon matches to be suspended due to poor air quality at the 45th Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Wednesday at Forest Akers West Golf Course.

  “GAM has been closely monitoring the air quality situation and made the decision to suspend play for the afternoon given the national recommendations for the health and safety of juniors.” GAM Executive Director Chris Whitten stated.

  Play is expected to resume on Thursday morning starting at 7:30 a.m. with the overall division quarterfinal matches followed by the 15-and-under division semifinal matches.

  The 2022 Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur champion Lauren Timpf of Macomb battled back and forth with Bryon Center’s Macie Elzinga until hole No. 8 when she made a birdie putt on the par 5 and went 1-up in the match. She never lost the lead again and would eventually win 4 and 2.

Local favorite and Stroke Play Medalist Alena Li of Okemos continued her solid play with a 6 and 5 win over Haslett’s Sydney Dausman.

  The 15-and-under champion from 2021, Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor who is now playing in the overall division, topped Addison’s Logan Bentley 5 and 3 to advance to the quarterfinals, now scheduled for Thursday morning.

  Quarterfinal matches were completed Wednesday in the 15-and-under division. The four semifinalists are Grand Blanc’s Madilyn Sheerin, Plymouth’s Annie Flavin, Ann Arbor’s Esther Zhang and Washington Twp.’s Tula Puzzuoli. They will play Thursday morning as well.

INFORMATION, TEE TIMES AND MATCH PLAY BRACKET: Visit GAM.org