• 41°
franklin county times

Mathis takes juniors title in sudden death

By Staff
CHIPPER CHAMPION Amanda Mathis chips to the No. 15 pin during the championship round of the Girls State Am golf tournament at Briarwood Country Club Wednesday morning.Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
June 19, 2003
Amanda Mathis entered the second round of the Mississippi Women's Golf Association Junior Girls State Am Wednesday morning looking squarely at a six-stroke deficit and needing to pass three solid golfers to repeat as tournament champion.
Thanks to a blistering 4-under par 70, the 2003 Picayune graduate and Mississippi State signee was able to successfully defend her title.
Mathis and Alexis Rather of Tupelo both finished at 147. Katherine Jones of Jackson was one stroke back at 148 and Leigh Phillips of Meridian was fourth, two strokes off the pace.
Mathis defeated Rather on the second playoff hole after both finished the 36 holes of regulation tied at 1-under-par 147 on the wet Briarwood Country Club Course.
Through the front nine Wednesday, Jones, a two-time champion (2000 and 2001), had taken a two-stroke lead with a birdie binge on five of the last six holes.
Jones, a senior at Jackson Academy, was 4-under with nine holes remaining, while Rather and Phillips were both 2-under, and Mathis was 1-over.
Jones was 3-under with four holes left, while Rather was 1-under and Mathis and Phillips were at even par.
Disaster struck Jones on the par-5, 417-yard 15th hole as she took a double-bogey 7. Mathis birdied, her third in a four-hole stretch, to leave both 1-under. Rather also birdied No. 15, along with No. 14, to lead by a stroke. Phillips was at even-par.
Rather fell into a three-way tie with Jones and Mathis at 1-under by three-putting No. 16, a 114-yard, par-3.
Rather and Mathis parred the final two holes to finish regulation 1-under. Jones narrowly missed making it a three-way tie atop the leaderboard as she bogeyed No. 18 to finish the tournament at even-par. Phillips closed out 1-over.
Rather nearly seized the win in regulation as her long putt from the fringe on No. 18 stopped inches short of falling for a tournament-winning birdie.
Mathis and Rather both bogeyed the first playoff hole with Mathis missing from four feet after Rather had already taken bogey.
Rather, a sentimental favorite after finishing second in 2001 and 2002, bogeyed the second extra hole by lipping out a three-foot putt and this time Mathis drained her short putt for her second-straight juniors title here.
Rather had 35 putts in Wednesday's 76, five more than Mathis.
In the 13-15 age group which plays nine holes, Britany Hanna of Pontotoc had a 45 Wednesday for a two-day 88, two strokes better than Shauna Allen of Greenville. Both took 31 putts in their two rounds.
Sarah Beth Fouts of Meridian was third with a 90, while Mary Kate Byrne of Natchez came in fourth at 108.
In the 10-12 age group which plays nine holes from a shorter distance, Shelby Sandifer of Florence closed with a 40 Wednesday to finish at 81, nine strokes better than Greenwood's Mary Langdon Gallagher. Sandifer needed only 35 putts in the two rounds, while Gallagher took 45.
Brittany Johnson of Meridian was third with a 114, while Taylor Dunn of Brandon had a 132.
Next year's tournament will be held in the Jackson area.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x