Shipley prevails in Women's Western Amateur final

July 20, 2019 | by

Sarah Shipley (WWGA/Twitter photo)

Sarah Shipley, a rising senior at Kentucky, turned a strong front-nine into a 5-and-3 victory.

Sarah Shipley defeated Antonia Matte, 5 and 3, Saturday in the championship match at the 119th Women’s Western Amateur at Royal Melbourne Country Club.

Shipley, of Hastings, Mich., opened the final match with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 to take a quick 2-up advantage and never lost a hole. She went 3 up with a birdie on the par-3 eighth and 4 up with a par to close out the front nine. Shipley finished the match by halving the next five holes.

Shipley played steady all week, and once she got to match play, she said she felt confident.

“I’ve always liked match play,” said Shipley, 21. “I’ve been playing really well the last couple weeks. I just won the [Women’s] Golf Association of Michigan Championship, which gave me more confidence.”

Shipley, a University of Kentucky senior, said her approach shots were consistent and she was rolling the ball well on the greens.

“My putting worked for me today, thankfully,” Shipley said. “I like the course a lot; I’m comfortable out here.”

Shipley has plans to turn pro in the future, but for now, she said she’s excited for her senior year at Kentucky.

“I am looking forward to seeing what our team can do this year,” she said.

Matte, of Santiago, Chile, played well in both of her Saturday matches. The high school junior said she felt like she was mentally prepared, but she didn’t make as many putts as Shipley.

“I had a good mentality today,” Matte said. “I played good, only the putter was not working.”

Matte, 16, said she plans to continue playing in international amateur events.

“I’m going to the Junior Optimist in Miami and the Chile Championship,” Matte said.

Shipley and Matte outlasted opponents from 30 states and 12 countries to reach the championship match. Matte defeated Brooke Tyree of Sulphur, Louisiana, 4 and 3 in the semifinals while Shipley overcame Maria Bohorquez of Bogota, Columbia, 2 and 1.

Shipley’s win earns her an automatic exemption into the 120th Women’s Western Amateur set for Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, Illinois, July 20-25, 2020.

Article by Women's Western Golf Association

Results: Women's Western Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Sarah Shipley	Hastings, MI	700
Runner-up	Antonia Matte	, Chile	500
Semifinals	Maria Bohorquez	, Colombia	400
Semifinals	Brooke Tyree	Sulphur, LA	400
Quarterfinals	Caroline Wrigley	Wexford, PA	300

View full results for Women's Western Amateur

About the Women's Western Amateur

Shipley prevails in Women's Western Amateur final

Held without interruption since its inception in 1901, the Women's Western Amateur is one of the longest-running annual championships in women's amateur golf. Each year, it draws many of the top amateur and collegiate players from around the world. T...