Greater Atlanta Women's Amateur Championship

ALPHARETTA, GA (May 25, 2006) -- Garrett Phillips of Augusta fired a final-round 75 to capture the title at the 37th annual Greater Atlanta Women's Amateur Championship which was held at Atlanta National Golf Club, May 22-24. Newnan's Jean Reynolds, who closed to within two shots of Phillips, stumbled at number 16 and finished three shots behind in second place. Lawrenceville's Ye Jin Na, who began the final round in a tie for fourth moved into third position after carding 75, giving her a 229 for the championship. Phillips, who finished as the runner-up in last year's event, recorded a bogey on her first hole of the day but rebounded by carding a birdie on the 437-yard, par-5 ninth. Making the turn at one-over par, Phillips found her only trouble of the day on the tenth hole. "Ten was my only bad hole all day," Phillips explained of her double-bogey. "I played pretty well the rest of the way. I played very consistent, hit fairways and greens and just never really got into trouble." Phillips played the par-fives at a two-under clip which included a birdie on the 13th hole. Reynolds closed the gap to within two shots of Phillips with a birdie at the 352-yard 14th but that was as close as she could come. Phillips would tally pars on the next four holes, and with Reynolds carding bogeys at 16 and 17, she took to the tee at 18 carrying a four-stroke advantage. "Again, I was just looking to not make a mistake," Phillips said of her play on the eighteenth hole. "I knew that I had the lead and that I just needed to finish it." Phillips carded a bogey on the hole but was still able to close the door on Reynolds and the rest of the field. Defending champion, Laura Coble of Augusta, finished with an 81 in the final round and fell to fourth place overall. Duluth's Kyu Ri Ban carded a final-round 79 to finish in fifth. In a tie for sixth place was Kristen Bragg of Evans, a teammate of Phillips on the Augusta State women's golf team, and first-flight winner Donna Gonsalves of Eatonton at 236. Alone in eighth position was Valdosta's Dori Carter, a rising sophomore at the University of Mississippi. Ninth place went to Eastman's Christy Cheek and second-flight winner, Danielle Davis of St. Simon's Island. Each tallied 251 for the championship. Other flight winners include: 3rd flight - Helen Kirbo of Albany (258); 4th flight - Gail Glass of Atlanta and Janet Thielemann of Marietta (265); 5th flight - Louise Beaudoin of Alpharetta (279). The field of 71 players was divided into six flights based on handicap index. The championship through second flights played from the same tees (5,875 yards, par 72) and were eligible for the overall championship. The third through fifth flights played from 5,220 yards and at a par of 72. Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are members of a GSGA Member Club and Georgia residents. This was the second time that this event has taken place at Atlanta National Golf Club. The Club previously hosted the event in 1992. For complete results, click on the tournament link above.