- amateurgolf.com photo

The two 25 years olds started the 36 hole match under showery conditions. But that didn’t seem to bother Jenq who started strong with birdies at the first two holes. When Cole made bogey at No. 3, Jenq found herself 3-up after three holes. The two halved the next 3 holes with pars.

At hole No. 6 Cole found the bunker and failed to get up and down. Jenq canned a 25 footer for birdie increasing her lead to 4. They halved the next 8 holes with pars.

At hole No. 16 Cole cut the corner on the dogleg par four around the water and was about 20 yards ahead of Jenq who was unable to reach the green in two. Cole missed her opportunity and failed to reach the green hitting into the right front bunker. Her explosion shot came out hot and over shot the green. A poor chip resulted in a double bogey. Jenq missed her 4 footer for 4, making bogey but won the hole and was now 5-up.

A missed green at the 136-yard par-4 No. 17 left Jenq with an awkward shot to the hole. She elected to putt from the rough but didn’t have enough pace to get up the slope of the contoured part of the green and ended up about 15 feet away. Jenq made bogey and Cole two putted for par. Jenq was now 4-up. The two had routine pars at 18 and Jenq was 4-up after 18 holes.

After a brief lunch break the match went on. Jenq continued her great iron play with a stiffed shot to the par 5 No. 1 leaving her 5 feet away. She made another birdie increasing her lead to 5-up.

Cole missed an opportunity to get one back at hole No. 2 with a missed five foot attempt on the par three. But Jenq gave one back at number 3 with an errant second shot that found the left front bunker resulting in bogey to Cole’s up and down par. Jenq was now 4-up.

The two traded bogeys on No. 6 and No. 7 then Cole dropped a 60 foot bomb for birdie on the par three 181 yard par three reducing Jenq’s lead to 3. Halving the par five No. 9 with pars and the par 4 No. 10 with bogies, another missed approach for Cole at the 11th resulted in double bogey and another lost hole. Both players two putted for pars at the 12th.

Trying to get the momentum back, Cole stiffed her approach to 8 feet at the par four No. 13. Jenq missed the green by just a few feet and her ball ended up in the rough with a difficult pitch without a lot of green to work with. Jenq hit a perfect shot, just as she envisioned. Her ball found the bottom of the cup for another birdie. Cole missed her birdie attempt extending Jenq’s lead to 5 and now dormie.

Both players reached the par 5 No. 14 in regulation and after a failed birdie attempt by Cole at a 25 footer and a lag by Jenq for a give, the match was over and Jenq became the winner of the 45th California Women’s Championship.

“I’m very happy, but tired,” commented Jenq after the round. “I’m honored to win. It is a dream come true.” This is the biggest win for the 25 year old from Saratoga. Earlier this year she won the Santa Clara County and the Fresno City. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur but failed to make match play. The Wellesley College graduate plans to play in all the USGA and California events next year in preparation to turn pro.

Cole, a San Diego State graduate currently attending graduate school studying public administration and the only female caddy at Torrey Pines, plans to return next year to the Monterey Peninsula for another attempt at the title. “I really enjoyed the tournament, it’s well run and I really like the course.” Cole made it to the finals on her first attempt.

The Lengfeld flight was won by Melanie McCaffrey of Huntington Beach with a 3 & 2 victory over Hannah Purdy of Newbury Park, CA.