ALBANY, GA (June 5, 2009)--In a generational battle, 45-year-old Virginia Derby Grimes faced off with 14-year-old Alexis Thompson in the final of the 94th Women’s Southern Amateur Championship at Stonebridge G&CC.

For two-time champion Grimes, this was her fifth trip to the final match, with Thompson making her first-ever final.

Thompson started strong by making birdies on the first two holes. Grimes came back by winning both par 3 holes on the front. Then Thompson threw in an eagle on the par-4 eighth hole and they made the turn with Thompson 1 up.

On the back nine, Grimes evened up the match on the par-3 twelfth with a birdie but Thompson answered with 2 birdies on thirteen and fourteen to go back to 2 up. Grimes then won the next two holes to square the match again.

At the continuation of the match, Thompson again birdied the first two holes to take a quick command of the match but Grimes birdied the third hole to keep it close. It was the veteran Grimes who failed to capitalize on some close approach shots and the nine closed with Thompson 1 up. Grimes then birdied the tough eleventh hole to square up the match but that was the last hole she would win.

Thompson then birdied the par 3 twelfth to regain the lead, then followed with birdies on thirteen and fourteen and closed out the match on fifteen 4&3.

For Thompson, it was a continuation of an excellent season which has seen her claim three significant women's amateur championships: the Women's South Atlantic, the Jones/Doherty, and now the Women's Southern Amateur. She has a commanding lead in the amateurgolf.com Women's Player-of-the-Year points race.

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