U.S. Women's Mid-Am: Leach and Port to meet in finals

9/22/2011 | by United States Golf Association

-- photo USGA

Past champions Martha Leach and Ellen Port to meet in the finals of the 25th Women's Mid Amateur, both with records on their minds

by Christina Lance VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sept 22, 2011) -– Past Women’s Mid-Amateur champions Ellen Port and Martha Leach will meet in this afternoon’s 18-hole championship match at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at 6,187-yard, par-72 Bayville Golf Club. Three-time winner Port, 50, of St. Louis, Mo., continued her strong play during her 4-and-3 semifinal victory over reinstated amateur Helene Beat of Sylvania, Ohio. Leach faced her first true challenge of the championship, but rallied for a 19-hole win over Tara Joy-Connelly of Pembroke, Mass. Port led for the duration, surviving a loss-of-hole penalty on the par-5 sixth hole. After her ball ended up in Beat’s line, she failed to replace her ball marker to its original position on the green before converting her par putt, a breach of Rule 20-3a. “I was very focused and just forgot to move it back,” said Port, who is vying to win a record fourth Women’s Mid-Amateur and playing in her record sixth championship match. “I was disappointed in myself because it’s my responsibility and golf’s hard enough without giving something away. “I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t in the back of my mind. So I made a really good putt on 8 to halve the hole and settle down.” Until this morning’s semifinals, 2009 champion Leach had cruised through the match-play bracket. The 49-year-old from Hebron, Ky., had yet to play past the 16th green, needing an average of only 14.5 holes per match. But Joy-Connelly gave Leach by far her toughest test. Joy-Connelly took the lead at the second hole and held it until the par-4 17th. Consecutive bogeys from Joy-Connelly sent the match to extra holes and gave Leach the chance she needed. Leach did not let the opportunity pass her by, winning the par-4 first hole with a birdie for the second championship final berth.

Results: U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Ellen Port	St. Louis, MO	1000
Runner-up	Martha Leach	Hebron, KY	700
Semifinals	Helene Beat	Oakland Park, FL	500
Semifinals	Tara Joy-Connelly	N. Palm Beach, FL	500
Quarterfinals	Brenda Pictor	Marietta, GA	400

View full results for U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

About the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur originated in 1987 to provide a national competitive arena for amateurs 25 and older. Besides the age restriction, the event is open to those with a USGA Handicap Index of 9.4 or lower. It is one of 14 national championsh...

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