Rebel Golfers Make Match Play At U.S. Amateur

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Ole Miss golfers Sara Grantham and Dori Carter were among 64 players to advance to match play at the 109th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship here Tuesday at the Old Warson Golf and Country Club.

Both players finished at +8 (150). Grantham teed off in the morning and shot 75 again and then had to sit and watch the scoreboard all afternoon to find out if her score would be good enough to advance to match play for the second time in a major championship this summer. Turns out, it was, by one shot. The cut ended up being +9.

Grantham came into the last hole at +2 on her round and landed in the fairway, in great position to make par and head to the clubhouse. But, the rising senior's second shot landed in the right bunker. From there she would end up making double-bogey to finish at +8. Despite not finishing the way she wanted too, Grantham is happy to make match play.

"I just made a couple of mistakes on the last hole," she said. The tournament starts over now. I just need to go out there and play my game and play the course. All summer I've been playing the qualifiers hoping to do well and advance to match play. I've been able to do that. It's pretty exciting to play in two big events (U.S. AM and U.S. Public Links) and make the cut in both. I am very happy. All the hard work I've done has paid off."

Following her round, Grantham watched her former teammate, Carter, make the cut as well.

"I watched Dori make the turn, and she made a great putt on the closing hole to make par," Grantham added. "Little did we know it would be so important."

Carter struggled off the tee most of the day, but managed to hang in there on her back nine, holes 1-9.

"It's still kind of unreal," said Carter after learning she had indeed made it in. "I've qualified before but never made match play. I fell apart on my front nine (10-18). I held it together on the last 9 holes (1-9) and then made a par on the last hole to secure my spot in match play.

"I am still excited to be here in the first place. Now that I am in match play I am so happy. Having Sara here and coach (Michele Drinkard) and my family makes it that much more exciting."

After an hour and a half wait of wondering what the cut would be Carter said they learned they were in. "We were wondering if we should go back out on the range and practice, but then it came down to the last couple of groups that 151 was going to be in the playoff. We knew then we were in."

"It's exciting to have two Rebels qualify for our national amateur," Drinkard said. "Now it is a new ball game with match play, and both Sara and Dori are fierce competitors in match play. I look forward to watching them tee it up tomorrow."

Carter faces Victoria Tanco of Argentina at 11:50 a.m., while Grantham meets Jessica Korda of Bradenton, Fla., at 12:10 p.m.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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