Whiston wins Inaugural SCGA Women's Match Play Title
8/7/2018 | by Southern California Golf Association
see also: View results for SCGA Women's Match Play, Red Hill Country Club
Nicole Whiston is the first-ever SCGA Women's Match Play champion, going 19 holes in the final at Bear Creek GC
MURRIETA, CA (August 7, 2018) - In the first-ever SCGA Women’s Match Play Championship, it took extra holes to crown the inaugural champion. Nicole Whiston outlasted Paris Griffith, using incredible ball-striking and strong moxie down the stretch to win in 19 holes.
Whiston, a University of Tennessee commit, ran through the first two rounds of competition, taking out Akemi Khaiat 5&4 before topping Azumi Arai 2&1. In the championship match, Whiston found herself in an afternoon-long battle against Griffith, with the match never swaying more than a 2-hole advantage for either woman.
The eventual champion jumped out to a 1up lead after the first hole and almost never looked back. Whiston birdied No. 3 and 4, but so did a resilient Griffith. After a bogey by Griffith at No. 6, Whiston followed up with her own blunder at No. 7 before atoning with a birdie on No. 9, making the turn 2up.
Whiston held a 1up lead and looked to keep momentum rolling on the par-3 16th hole when things got interesting. After a short tee shot left her 25 feet below the hole with a ridge to climb, Whiston left her first putt 10 feet short and it finally looked as if Griffith would pull even. After Griffith tapped in for par, Whiston confidently drained the uphiller to stay steady and 1up with two holes to play.
On the next hole, the par-4 17th, both players left their approaches short of the green and a few paces into the fridge. Playing first, Griffith asked her caddie to pull the flagstick before canning the 30-foot chip for birdie. As Whiston’s own birdie chip sailed past, Griffith had finally clawed the match back to even.
With the inaugural title waiting in the balance, both players roped tee shots down the 18th fairway. Facing a tucked pin over water, both women laced iron shots over the pin and onto the backside of the green complex. Playing first, Griffith nearly jarred her chip, leaving it a few inches short and setting the stage for Whiston. The rising high school senior ran the winning putt by and forced a sudden death playoff.
On the first hole of the playoff, both players missed the green with Whiston in the bunker and Griffith 20 yards short. Whiston played first, nearly making her bunker shot. Griffith stabbed at her chip, leaving it 10 feet short. She was unable to convert the par putt and Whiston tapped in for the championship.
About the SCGA Women's Match Play
This Championship is open to female SCGA members with a Handicap index of 9.4 or below. Players must qualify or earn an exemption into the championship field. The championship format is single- elimination match play.
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original