For a person so young, Sydney Merchant put up some very impressive numbers this week.
The 15-year-old from Red Rocks Country Club not only won the 61st CWGA Junior Match Play Championship at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette, but she did so with one of the largest margins in the history of the title match.
Record-keeping is spotty for the Junior Match Play, but Merchant’s 8 and 6 win Thursday over Sarah Hankins of Thorncreek Golf Club is by far the most lopsided title match in the last nine years.
Thursday’s performance capped a memorable week overall as the Morrison resident (pictured above) won her quarterfinal match 8 and 7, then went 5 under par in defeating Hannah Wood 2 up in the semifinals.
“You always go into a tournament thinking you’ll play your best,” said Merchant, a sophomore-to-be at Dakota Ridge High School. “I played very well this week, I thought. There was no particular part of my game I was great in, but it all just clicked.”
In winning her first CWGA championship, Merchant was 2 under par through the 12 holes of Thursday’s final match. She played the front nine in 3 under — making birdies on each of the par-5s — which left her 6 up at the turn. Merchant and Hankins (picured at left) tied for third place in this year’s 5A state high school meet, but Hankins struggled on Thursday, going 7 over par in her 12 holes of the final. She bogeyed her last four holes and six of her last seven.
“I just struggled putting today,” said Hankins, a senior-to-be at Legacy High School in Broomfield. “I could have made some putts that would have (made it) closer, but they didn’t fall today. Coming into this (match), I’d been putting lights out. I felt confident, but it just didn’t work out today.
“Some days you win, some days you lose. Today I lost. That’s sports for you.”
Merchant got up and down for par on No. 10 and went 7 up there when Hankins (pictured at left) three-putted for bogey. Merchant hit her second shot into the water on the par-5 11th, settling for her only bogey and a halve there. Then needing just a halve to end the match, Merchant two-putted from 25 feet for par on No. 12 for the victory.
Claiming the title was particularly satisfying given that Merchant finished second in the CWGA Junior Match Play last year, when Calli Ringsby beat her in the final.
“Obviously this feels great,” said Merchant, who didn’t lose a hole on Thursday. “It was a great win and I’m happy.”
And the fact that she also beat Wood — who advanced to match play at this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship — made it all the sweeter. In that semifinal, each player made six birdies.
“Yesterday I shot like (5) under, so that was a great round,” Merchant said. “That was a really fun round. It was very satisfying. We both played great, and it was fun and intense. I enjoyed it.”
Despite her age, Merchant (pictured at left) is no stranger to big-time junior golf. By the time this summer is over, she will have competed in three Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, two Junior America’s Cups, one Optimist International Junior Golf Championship and one national Big “I” Junior Classic.
Hankins, who will be playing in this year’s Optimist International, took satisfaction in being a CWGA Junior Match Play finalist this week despite Thursday’s lopsided loss.
“It’s a big deal,” she said. “This is the farthest I’ve made it in match play ever. It’s a huge accomplishment. It’s definitely one of the best tournaments I’ve played.”
CWGA Junior Match Play
At Indian Peaks GC in Lafayette
Championship Flight Final — Sydney Merchant, Red Rocks CC def. Sarah Hankins, Thorncreek GC 8 & 6.
Championship Flight Consolation Final — Sydney Gillespie, Highlands Ranch GC def. Kylee Sullivan, CC of Colorado5 & 4
First Flight Final — Jennifer Kupcho, CommonGround GC def. Dani Urman, Meridian GC 2 & 1
First Flight Consolation Final — Gillian Vance, Red Rocks CC def. Andrea Ballou, Red Hawk Ridge GC- Forfeit
Second Flight Final — Jennifer Hankins, Thorncreek GC def. Mary Weinstein, Green Valley Ranch GC 1 up
Second Flight Consolation Final — Adara Pauluhn, Lake Valley CC def. Jordan Sunset, Boulder CC 8 & 6
Third Flight Final — Mary Kate Nelson, Eisenhower GC def. Michelle Romano, Colorado GC 20 holes
Third Flight Consolation Final — Maggie Gelat, Monument Hill CC def. Ashlyn Kirschner, West Woods GC 2 & 1
Fourth Flight Final — Mattie Schwall, Colorado Springs CC def. Joanna Kempton, Lone Tree Hotel & GC 3 & 1
Fourth Flight Consolation Final — Mariah Ehrman, Omni Interlocken Resort GC def. Madison McCambridge, Boulder CC 7 & 6
Fifth Flight Final — Kelsey Petersen, Marianna Butte GC def. Kendra Bellmann, Estes Park GC 3 & 2
Fifth Flight Consolation Final — Colleen Casey, Estes Park GC def. Aubrey Doran, Ptarmigan CC 6 & 5
