Sweet 16 Set At 2017 Michigan Women’s Amateur

Sweet 16 Set At 2017 Michigan Women’s Amateur

Geer Upset, Blomberg Makes Hole-In-One, Dy Sisters in Sweet 16

SAGINAW – Anything can happen in match play is a golf mantra, and it played out that way as the “Sweet 16” was established Wednesday in the 101st Michigan Women’s Amateur at Saginaw Country Club.

· Danielle Staskowski of Clarkston, who is just 15, upset two-time defending champion Allyson Geer of Brighton.

· Grand Valley State University golfer Mackenzie Blomberg of Auburn Hills made the first hole-in-one of her life on the way to making the Sweet 16 for the first time.

· Anika Dy of Traverse City celebrated her Sweet 16th birthday by making the Sweet 16, and she was joined by her 14-year-old sister Anci. They could meet in the quarterfinals.

The Sweet 16 includes 12 college golfers, including six who just graduated from high school and will be freshmen in the fall, three high school golfers and one college head coach. The youngest is Anci Dy at 14, and the oldest is 45-year-old Michigan State women’s golf coach and two-time former champion Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll.

The round of 16 and quarterfinals will be played Thursday with the semifinals and championship match on Friday.

Staskowski, who will be a junior at Notre Dame Preparatory High School and as a sophomore was the Division 3 state high school champion, said she wasn’t sure how to react after beating Geer 1-up when she made a two-putt par and Geer missed an eight-foot par putt on the 18th hole.

“I don’t think it has sunk in,” she said. “I’m not sure what to think. I went with my parents to watch Ally (Geer) play in the Meijer LPGA Classic a few weeks ago, and I was just really excited to get the chance to play with her. I was trying not to think about where I was and who I was playing. I was just going next shot, next shot. I was betting on her to make that putt at 18 and that we would keep playing.”

Geer, who hooked a 3-wood left into some bushes on No. 18 and had to pitch out before knocking a third shot to eight feet, was disappointed in her play, but gave credit to Staskowski.

“I made some dumb mistakes, got a few bad breaks and got down early, got it back to all-square but then at 18 maybe adrenalin helped me over hook that tee shot and I got a bad break on the bounce,” she said. “Overall I’m happy for her, she played steady. I guess you can’t win it every year. I learned a lot, and I love playing in this tournament, playing in Michigan and being part of the legacy of this tournament.”

Blomberg, who is one of three Grand Valley golfers in the Sweet 16, was 2-up when she made the turn in her round of 32 match with Heather Fortushniak of Brighton. Then on the par 3 No. 10 hole, which was playing at 145 yards, she hit a 7-iron tee shot that bounced, rolled and went in the hole.

“It is one way to win a hole,” she said and laughed after winning 4 and 3. “I got excited when it happened, but then I was very calm and still in kind of disbelief. I took a couple of deep breaths, hit the next shot good and really put it on cruise control.”

Blomberg is in the round of 16 for the first time

“This is one of the biggest days of golf for me so far,” she said. “I will reset and play. Some crazy things happen in match play, so you never know.”

Anika Dy, who will be a junior at Traverse City West High School, said her 16th birthday and the match started out well.

“I got off to a good, solid start and then just had to kind of hang on,” she said after beating McKenzie Chaisson of Oxford 5 and 4. “I’m playing well and looking forward to moving on. I wouldn’t mind playing Anci. It would mean we are both doing great.”

Anci, who will be a freshman in high school in the fall, topped Erin Johnson of Canton 4 and 2 and said playing against Anika would be fun.

“I have to get there first,” she said.

She meets another Johnson, Central Michigan golfer Natalie Johnson of Clinton Township, in the round of 16.

Slobodnik-Stoll is the only former champion remaining. She beat Wayne State golfer Chloe Guschewski 2 and 1 Wednesday.

The Sweet 16 golfers include:

Kerrigan Parks of Flushing, 17, freshman at Marshall University

Elayna Bowser of Dearborn, 20, junior at Loyola University Chicago

Sarah White of Caledonia, 19, junior at Texas State University

Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, 45, golf coach Michigan State University

Katelyn Chipman of Canton, 19, sophomore at Grand Valley State University

Olivia Reed of Carleton, 17, freshman at Grand Valley State University

Nichole Cox of Empire, 18, freshman at Bowling Green State University

Mackenzie Blomberg of Auburn Hills, 20, junior at Grand Valley State University

Anika Dy of Traverse City, 16, junior at Traverse City West High School

Meg Watkins of Frankenmuth, 18, freshman at Western Michigan University

Anci Dy of Traverse City, 14, freshman at Traverse City West High School

Natalie Johnson of Clinton Township, 21, senior at Central Michigan University

Aya Johnson of Muskegon, 21, senior at University of Wisconsin

Anna Kramer of Spring Lake, 18, freshman at the University of Indianapolis

Danielle Staskowski of Clarkston, 15, junior at Notre Dame Preparatory

Julia Dean of Brighton, 17, freshman at the University of Arkansas

Results and Match Play Bracket: Find them at gam.org

About the GAM: Founded in 1919, the Golf Association of Michigan is the governing body for amateur golf in the state. As a not-for-profit organization, the GAM’s purpose is to promote, preserve and serve the game of golf. The GAM, served by over 250 dedicated volunteers, provides membership to more than 55,000 golfers and more than 470 Michigan golf courses, conducts over 30 amateur championships, oversees 18 USGA qualifying events, administers the GAM/USGA Handicap System and measures and rates almost 70 courses a year for the USGA. Learn more at www.gam.org.

 

Via Greg Johnson