Around the Green

Macy Holliday Wins Women's Stroke Play in Play-Off

LEAGUE CITY – Despite feeling light-headed on the putt she needed to make in order to secure her spot in a play-off, Macy Holliday of Dallas was victorious at the 2018 Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Magnolia Creek Golf Club.
 
(Click here for scoring.)
 
Holliday’s birdie putt on 18 sent her into a 2-hole play-off with Kingwood’s Hanna Alberto and Madison Luitwieler of Katy. 
 
“It was all nerves standing over my putt,” said the Ole Miss sophomore. “I felt like I couldn’t even see the ground, but I knew I had made it this far and that I really wanted to be in contention to win this championship.”
 
Holliday, Alberto, and Luitwieler each held the lead at different points throughout the final round.
 
All three players continued to show poise as they all made birdies on their first play-off hole, the par-5 9^th of the England course. But the tournament was won on the second play-off hole, hole-one of England, when Holliday was the only player to hit the green. 
 
Alberto, who was honored as the Southland Conference Women’s Golfer of the Year, hit an impressive bunker shot giving herself a solid opportunity to make par. University of Texas senior Luitwieler, who was just short of the green on her approach shot, barely missed her chip shot for birdie, ensuring a tap-in par.
 
Holliday took a deep breath and drained her 10-foot birdie putt to become the 2018 champion.
 
“Coming off my freshman year it wasn’t the freshman year that I wanted and I came into this summer thinking that summer golf could be special for me,” said the four-time TAPPS 5A All-State selection. 
 
This elite win may be just what Holliday needed in order to kick-start her special summer. 
 
The champion in the first flight was Kingwood’s Marybeth Bellnap who shot a final round 77 to finish the tournament with a 19-over-par total.
 
Connor Howard of Hallsville won the second flight in her debut TGA Major Championship. She shot a final round 77 to finish with a tournament total of 33-over-par. 
 
Melissa Loh of Dallas won Low Mid-Amateur honors after a final round 4-over-par to finish at a 12-over 228 tournament total. 
 
Magnolia Creek Golf Club is a 27-hole links-style course. The three sets of nine-holes were strongly influenced by St. Andrews, North Berwick, and Royal County Down and capture the best of the British Isles. With spacious fairways, countless pot bunkers, wind that always seems to blow, and a world-class, 22-acre practice facility Magnolia Creek is an ideal spot to host a championship.
 
The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to Magnolia Creek Golf Club, the welcoming membership, and hard-working staff, as well as our volunteers, for all their dedication and efforts in making the 2018 Women’s Stroke Play a memorable event. 
 
For more information on this year’s championship, including complete scoring, click here.