Mika Liu (R) celebrates her victory (courtesy of Nigel Cook)
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Under normal circumstances, a final-round 69 gets the job done when holding a share of the lead heading into the final round. Unfortunately for Kaitlyn Papp, her playing partner Mika Liu is no ordinary opponent.
Liu, a high school junior, fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 in a flawless final-round victory at the prestigious Women’s South Atlantic Amateur (The Sally).
This was Liu's second straight round of 67 as she put on a ball-striking clinic by hitting 17 greens in regulation. Her only scare of the day came on the her final hole of the tournament when a block off the tee hit the base of a palm tree and bounced 40 yards left into the fairway.
Playing the way she did, Liu no doubt earned her good fortune.
“I think, through a final round like this, when I really earn it, and I know I did, I’m really proud of myself,” Liu told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
If the past champions of this event prove any indication, the Stanford commit has big things yet to come.
She joins the likes of legend Babe Zaharias, Christie Kerr, and Lexi Thompson as champions of The Sally. In fact, 5 of the last 6 winners of the championship have earned LPGA Tour status. The only exception being last year's winner Sierra Brooks who finished tied for 6th in this year's event.
ABOUT THE
Women's South Atlantic Amateur (The SALLY)
The Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Golf
Championship (The SALLY) has been hosted by Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, Florida
since its beginnings
in 1926. The tournament field consists of top
amateurs in the US, and the top finishers frequently represent the U.S. for the biennial
Curtis Cup team. You will find
many former SALLY players among the LPGA
elite.
FORMAT
72-hole stroke play championship with a
Championship Division (max handicap 6.0) and a simultaneously-held Mid-Am division for players 22 and over (first day of the tournament) and not on the roster of any college or university golf team. 54-hole Rockefeller Division of 12 players (max handicap 10.0) plays from a shorter set of tees.
View Complete Tournament Information