O’BRIEN WINS COLLEGE TOURNAMENT
Bishop Luers’ grad Kristi O’Brien, won her 1st college-age tourney, which continued to build her confidence after her 3rd place finish in the Fort Wayne Women’s City.
“The course was beautiful, but brutal,” said Kristi after the victory at the Robert Morris College-Holiday Inn.
It was a Pete Dye course (well over 6,000 yards and seemingly playing even longer) in the huge Pennsylvania hills with lightning fast greens that always break “towards the valley”.
This year’s 2009 Golf Digest rated the Montour Heights Country Club course, near Pittsburg, as the 45th toughest course in the US. And to make matters even worse, the wind chill was in the mid-to-upper 40s both days.
Kristi shot 80 on Day One for 3rd place, but only 1 behind. She had 3 birdies and 2 doubles. Day 2 was altogether different. She started strong (1 over after 5 holes), struggled in the middle (6 over in the next 7 holes). And just when it looked that she could not possibly win, she parred every hole in the brutal 6 finishing holes. She sunk parr putts of 12 feet, 5 feet and 7 feet over the last 3 holes for a 79 and a one-stroke victory. O’Brien shot an 80-79-159.
“The course presented itself with constant uphill, downhill, sidehill lies, heather deep enough to lose your ball, and blind shots to pins all day.”
But what surprised her most was her drive that probably was the difference from the other players. She out hit every girl in her group both days. The key to Kristi’s game was that she was in-or close to-nearly every fairway the entire tournament. As a result, on Day Two, Tuesday, there were no double bogeys, and only 2 for the entire tournament. In addition, she was without a penalty stroke.
Kristi is the 3rd IUPUI girl in history to ever win a college tournament.
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