Milan grad Lindsey Lammers wins GAM Girls Junior State Amateur
Lindsey Lammers poses with her father, Mike Lammers, as she holds her GAM Girls Junior State Amateur championship trophy while standing in front of the leader board at Burning Tree Golf & County Club Wednesday in Macomb.
In the process, Lammers, who finished runner-up in the Division 3 state finals last fall and was named AnnArbor.com's Washtenaw County Girls Golfer of the Year, got her first taste of match play.
Needless to say, she had no problem getting the hang -- or more fittingly, swing -- of it.
The Milan graduate defeated Clinton Township's Kelly Hartigan 1 up to win the title Wednesday.
She posted a 77 on Monday before firing a 71 Tuesday -- the only player to shoot an under par round -- to tie for the lead with a two-day total of 148. After losing a playoff to Rosalie Shyu (Rochester Hills), Lammers was back on the course 30 minutes later as one of the top-8 qualifiers for match play.
Lammers defeated Gabrielle Yurik (Oakland) 1 up in the quarterfinals and Melissa Beurmann (Jackson) 1 up in the semifinals, advancing to the finals against Hartigan.
"She handled adversity with class and came through with amazing shots when she needed them," said Milan golf coach Claire Neff, who accompanied Lammers at the three-day tournament.
"Playing 92 holes in only three days can be intimidating for most 17-year olds," Neff continued, "but Lindsey is not your typical 17-year old. She is a great competitor and spent most of the past two days with a look of confidence and focus."
Last Thursday-Friday, Lammers finished third in a regional qualifier in Battle Creek.
"Her game has always been solid," noted Neff, "but the past seven days have given us a little glimpse into what her amazing future holds." Lammers will be joining the University of Detroit Mercy Titans women's golf team in the fall.
Kaleb Roedel is a sports writer for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734)623-2562 and e-mailed at kalebroedel@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kaleb_R.