As she did all week during her five match-play wins, Park was the picture of composure under pressure at historic San Antonio Country Club. The Allen native never trailed in the championship match, for example. A nifty par save from a greenside bunker on No. 9 afforded her a 2-up lead at the turn. Gregg fought back and won the par-3 10th hole with a par, but Park pushed her lead back to 2 up with a par on the par-4 11th.
Park, who last summer was a semifinalist at the 96th playing of the Women’s State Amateur, said the turning point of the match was the sand save on No. 9.
“That was to win the hole,” she said. “Even though I lost No. 10, I still had enough confidence to keep me going all the way up to 4 up.”
Somewhat surprisingly, Park had low expectations coming into the week. She took a 10-day break for summer vacation and wasn’t sure where her game was when she arrived in San Antonio. Turns out her game was in fantastic shape. With timely pars and momentum-building birdies throughout the week, Park proved to be the best player in the talented field.
“It was a really great honor to win this tournament,” she said. “It means a lot to me. There were a lot of supporters out there. Lots of Aggie supporters, and I’m really thankful I got to play.”
Despite the loss in the Finals, Gregg showed poise and skill beyond her years. She won four matches before falling to Park, and after her senior year in high school she’ll head to Arkansas to begin her collegiate career. The mature Gregg was upbeat in defeat and chose to focus on the positives.
“I learned a lot about myself this week, and about my game,” Gregg said. “It was a really good week. I just didn’t putt great today.”