Ice-cool youngster claims tense victory
Elizabeth Elmassian held her nerve on a tense final hole to claim a one-shot victory at the Bowra & O’Dea 72-hole Classic at Lake Karrinyup Country Club yesterday.
The NSW teenager led throughout the tournament and went into the last day with a five-shot lead, but had to survive a strong challenge from Mt Lawley’s Hannah Green to finish at six under and lift the trophy.
Elmassian, 19, took a one-shot advantage to the 18th and managed to sink a five-foot par putt to ice the championship.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet. I feel very excited and privileged,” Elmassian said.
“There have been some great winners in the past.”
Elmassian said the fact she had to overcome six of Australia’s top-10 women made her victory memorable.
She said she hadn’t felt the pressure of being the leader until yesterday, but had been calm on the winning putt after spending hours practising the day before.
For Green, it was her third runner-up finish in the past month after falling just short at the New Zealand Women’s Open and the WA Amateur Championship.
But the rising teenager did not walk away empty handed after securing a $10,000 Karrie Webb Series scholarship on the back of her consistent performances.
The scholarship includes a start in the 2016 Australian Open and an expenses-paid trip to the US Open to experience the event with Webb.
Green said she had never met Webb and was excited to work with one of her golfing heroes.
“I tried not to think too much about the scholarship this week, I just wanted to play good golf,” she said.
Green said she couldn’t be upset she had missed out on victory yet again and was pleased she kept putting herself in contention.
“Definitely from New Zealand my confidence is boosted,” she said.
“I feel like I’m playing more consistently good golf.
“I played the best I did all week today so that was good.
“At least I have come runner- up, I’ve got to be happy with that.”
Singaporean Jen Goh was four shots behind Green in third, with Mandurah’s Hayley Bettencourt, Victorian Julienne Soo and world No.8 Shelly Shin the next best after finishing at three over.
Mt Lawley youngster Hira Naveed finished a solid week at four over to round out the top seven.
