Shepherd wins battle of USGA champs at Indiana Women's Am

June 12, 2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Erica Shepherd (IWGA photo)

Erica Shepherd emerged from a tight three-way race to pull away on the back nine and win her first Indiana state am title

Erica Shepherd won the Indiana Women's State Amateur on Friday, winning a battle of two-time USGA champions at Old Oakland Golf Club in Indianapolis.

Shepherd, who recently completed her freshman year at Duke University, was the winner of the 2017 U.S. Girls' Junior and the 2019 U.S. Women's Four-Ball (with Meg Furtney).

Related: Incoming Blue Devils Shepherd, Furtney snag Women's 4-Ball title
Related: U.S. Girls' Junior: Shepherd Joins Her Mentor in Victory

Heading into the final round at Old Oakland, she was tied with another two-time USGA title holder, Julia Potter-Bobb, who won the 2013 and 2016 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur championships. Potter-Bobb was looking for her 6th Indiana state amateur title.

The pair were joined at the top by Cailyn Henderson of the University of Indianapolis, who shot a 5-under 67 in the second round to take a share of the lead into the final round at 4-under 140.

Henderson was the one leading through much of the front nine, but a birdie by Shepherd at the 9th pulled her into a tie going into the final nine.

It looked like Potter-Bobb had shot herself out of the tournament, going out in 40 with a card that included two 6's. But trailing by three, she hit the shot of the tournament, a hole-out eagle on the par-4 10th, and followed it up with a birdie on the 11th, to get back into the mix.

But Shepherd would soon take control, with back-to-back birdies midway through the back nine as Henderson was making back-to-back bogeys. Four shots up with three holes to go, Shepherd coasted in to win her first Indiana state amateur title.

For Shepherd, a round of 69 -- the day's only under-par round -- gave her a 7-under 209 total and a 4-shot win over Potter-Bobb (73). Henderson (74) was third at 2 under. Annabelle Pancake was distant fourth at 3 over par.

It was the second time this week that Shepherd and Potter-Bobb took the top two spots on the leaderboard. On Sunday, the IWGA Indiana Golf Championship kicked off the season in Anderson, where Potter-Bobb shot a 69 to edge Shepherd by one shot. But while Shepherd fell just short, she was able to find something in her game that paid off in the state am.

“It was nice to have that one-day IWGA event at Anderson Country Club,” said Shepherd to the IWGA. “I took some things away from that event and got really solid with the two days I had. I’ve hit it better the first couple days here than I have in a long time.”

About the Indiana Women's State Amateur

Shepherd wins battle of USGA champs at Indiana Women's Am

54 Hole, Stroke Play Event. Field flighted after 36 holes. This tournament is open to female Indiana residents who are affiliated with an IWGA Member Club and who possess an IGA-PGA Handicap index of 29.9 or less.

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