BATESVILLE — Little Rock’s Jennifer Welch completed the summer double Thursday.
Welch completed a sweep of the Arkansas State Women’s Golf Association’s major tournaments with a six-stroke victory in the Stroke Play Championship at The Course at Eagle Mountain.
Welch also won the AWGA Match Play earlier in the summer at Maumelle Country Club. The victories are the first two Arkansas majors of her career.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Welch said.
“I was just so happy to win the match play and I was hoping to come into this tournament and finish in the top three and play well. I wanted to win it, but realistically it wasn’t in my plans. I’m thrilled.”
Welch shot an even-par 72 Thursday and finished at 2 over for the tournament to win by six strokes over El Dorado’s Elizabeth Wells. Wells shot a 2-under 70 Thursday.
“I took a week off last week,” said Welch, who played at Central Arkansas Christian. “Coming into this tournament, I wasn’t sure I was going to play my best. I needed a break, obviously.”
Welch got off to a good start Tuesday with a 2-under 70. That allowed her to absorb Wednesday’s tough round, during which she shot 4-over 76.
“The first day I played amazing. I was 4 under through six holes,” Welch said. “And the second round was OK. It wasn’t horrible.”
But she got off to a bad start Thursday, shooting 4 over on the front nine as her lead over Wells tightened to three strokes.
“I just wasn’t putting as well,” Welch said. “Liz was playing great, but I wasn’t really thinking about it. I knew I had some holes left that I could birdie on the back side.”
Welch did just that, shooting 32 on the back nine to get back to even par for the day.
“I was really only expecting to birdie one or two, but then I just started making them,” she said. “I was just trying to relax and have fun. I put myself in birdie position and putted a lot better.”
Sports, Pages 24 on 07/30/2010