By Tori Schuller
BERNARDSTON, Massachusetts – Tomorrow, Maddie Smith (Mount Pleasant Golf Club), Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill Country Club), Sophie Redmond (MIAA) and Kaitlyn Doe (Needham Golf Club) will compete in the semi-finals of the Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur, Powered by KOHR Golf. But outside this tournament, the four girls share something in common, a team name.
The four competitors are all apart of Team Massachusetts, a state junior golf team, created by the U.S. National Development Program and managed by Mass Golf.
Smith and Guleserian, the 1 and 2 seeds of match play in the round of 8 this afternoon at Crumpin-Fox Club, cruised through their second matches of the day.
Smith won her match against Erika Redmond (MIAA) 5&3, and Guleserian took home her win against Madelyn Vetri (Country Club of Pittsfield) 8&6.
Redmond and Doe were met with more difficult struggles, taking both of their second matches of the day to 18 holes. Redmond, the fifth seed, defeated Adriana Eaton (KOHR Golf), the fourth seed, with an up-and-down for par on the 18th hole, but didn’t expect to continue her tournament.
“Yeah, I’m excited. I was kind of expecting to go home, I even made plans with my friends,” Redmond said. “But it’s a good opportunity anyways, so I’m happy to stay.”
Whether Redmond won or lost, however, she had plenty of company in the car ride home, her younger and older sister.
“It’s fun, we all get to travel together, and we’re pretty close,” Redmond said. “And it always makes a good story when people hear about us.”
Sophie’s younger sister, Natalie (MIAA), missed the cut for match play by 15 strokes, but Erika (MIAA), the eldest, continued with Sophie to the match-play. Ultimately, she fell to Smith, losing 5&3, which leaves Sophie as the last Redmond sister to make the semi-finals.
“I made it to the match play part [of this tournament] before, but I was the 15th seed so I played against the 2 seed,” Redmond said. “So this is the furthest I’ve made it.”
Doe defeated Maddie Chang (Youth on Course) on the 18th, with a dialed wedge shot on the 17th to give her a successful birdie look.
Chang put up a fight throughout the day, especially in her first match, where she won 6&5 after a hole-in-one on the 11th.
“I didn’t even see the ball go in, I didn’t expect it or see it coming,” Chang said. “I was trying not to get too excited, because I wanted to keep my composure.”
Scroll down for capsules from all 12 matches played Wednesday at Crumpin-Fox Club
1-Maddie Smith, Mount Pleasant Country Club, def. 9-Erika Redmond, MIAA, 5&3
The match between Maddie Smith and Erika Redmond on the front nine was a full toss-up, with each girl grabbing the lead one hole and losing it the next. However, once the pair hit the back, Smith found her stride. With four birdies in the first five holes, Smith locked up the match, to push herself to the semi-finals.
5-Sophie Redmond, MIAA, def. 4-Adriana Eaton, KOHR Golf, 1-up
Sophie Redmond and Madelyn Vetri played tug-of-war with the lead in their match until the 18th hole. Tied after 17, Redmond had to get up and down for a par, and did just that, with a long chip off the green put to three feet.
2-Lillian Guleserian, Blue Hill Country Club, def. 10-Madelyn Vetri, Country Club of Pittsfield, 8&6
Right out the gate, Lillian Guleserian knew she wanted a spot in the semi-finals. By the ninth hole, Lillian was 7-up, and continued her dominant streak, winning the 11th and 12th hole to finish the match.
3-Kaitlyn Doe, Needham Golf Club, def. Maddie Chang, Youth on Course, 2-up
Maddie Chang hit an iron to 2 feet for a birdie opportunity in her match against Kaitlyn Chang on hole 8, tying up the score. On hole 17, Doe stuck a wedge shot close, guaranteeing a birdie and a lead into the 18th, where she sealed the match with a close shot in.
1-Maddie Smith, Mount Pleasant Country Club def. 16-Reva Machanavajhula, Youth on Course, 4&3
Maddie Smith closed out her first match quickly, after going 4-under-par on her first 9 holes, including a clutch birdie putt from 10 feet on number 9. Smith continued her dominance into the back nine, ending her first match and beating Reva Machanavajhula 4&3.
9-Erika Redmond, MIAA def. 8-Cindy Cao, Youth on Course, 21 holes
Erika Redmond and Cindy Cao needed more than 18 holes to determine the winner of their match as well. Neither player was more than 1-up, and Redmond earned a spot in the quarter-finals with a birdie on the 21st hole.
4-Adriana Eaton, KOHR Golf, def. 13-Angie Yu, Mass Golf GC, 5&4
Adriana Eaton gave herself a strong start in her match, making the turn 3-up. Eaton earned pars on 10 and 12, but her birdie on 13 sealed the deal to send her to the next round.
5-Sophie Redmond, MIAA, def. 12-Ryley Regan, Orchards Golf Club, 4&3
Sophie Redmond started her journey to her win off late, not earning a lead until the 9th hole. After some well-placed pars, Redmond closed the match out 4&3 with a par on 15.
2-Lillian Guleserian, Blue Hill Country Club, def. 15-Cecily Henshon, Longmeadow Country Club, 2&1
Lillian Guleserian and Cecily Henshon battled their round out, retaking the lead from one another almost every hole. Guleserian found her stride on the back nine, gaining a lead of three by the 13th hole. Guleserian stayed 2-up until 17, where she closed out the round.
10-Madelyn Vetri, Country Club of Pittsfield, def. 7-Olivia Jatczak, MIAA, 20 holes
Madelyn Vetri and Olivia Jatczak battled throughout their match-play round, neither gaining more than a 2-hole lead throughout the round. The round pushed through the first 18 and led to a playoff, with Vetri birdying the 2nd hole and winning.
3-Kaitlyn Doe, Needham Golf Club, def. 14-Lauren Connor, Springfield Country Club, 6&5
Kaitlyn Doe took a commanding lead off the bat, giving herself a 4-hole lead by the turn. She continued to build from there, closing out her match by the 13th hole after two much-needed pars.
11-Maddie Chang, Youth on Course, def. 6-Lucy Wang, MIAA, 6&5
Chang breezed through her first four holes 4-up, and continued her lead at 3-up until she found the easiest way to win the par-3 11th, with a hole-in-one. Chang finished strong and closed the match at 6&5, with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 13th.
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