109TH MICHIGAN WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Macie Elzinga of Byron Center Wins at Eagle Eye
By Greg Johnson
EAST LANSING – Byron Center’s Macie Elzinga had the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship on her mind.
“It stung a lot last year, coming up short, and I was thinking about it all year long,” she said.
The sting is gone, and she can think about winning it now for years to come, especially since her name will go on the historic Patti Shook Boice Trophy as the champion of the 109th edition of the state championship, played all week at Eagle Eye Golf & Banquet Center.
The 19-year-old Bowling Green State University golfer outlasted 2019 champion Elayna Bowser of Dearborn 2 and 1 in the championship match Friday, a year removed from losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Shannon Kennedy of Beverly Hills and Michigan State University.
“I’m really happy I was able to come out here and actually accomplish what I was trying to do for a while,” she said. “It’s my biggest win by far. Last year kind of put it in my mind that it was possible, but I knew it was coming into this year, and I was just trying to take in one match at a time.”
With the win she also earned an exemption from the USGA into the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship later this summer at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.
“That’s pretty cool,” she said. “I’ve been to one (U.S. Girls’ Championship), but never the Women’s Championship, so I’m really excited for it. And it’s Bandon Dunes, so you have to be excited.”
Elzinga earned her way to the championship match with another 2 and 1 win, this one in the morning semifinal match against last year’s runner-up, Elise Fennell of Caledonia and Illinois State University. Bowser, meanwhile, topped Olivia Stoll of Haslett, the recent Grand Valley State University graduate and former golfer, 3 and 2.
In the championship match, Elzinga didn’t make a single birdie, the only time it didn’t happen in a round of 18 all week.
“Honestly I think we both had very similar games,” Elzinga said in response to what Bowser did well as an opponent. “It felt like every single hole we were shooting to pins, just depended on who was out (further). We had similar length putts on almost every hole. I feel like what it came down to was that every time I was on the green, I was two putting. So, she knew she had to make a lot of putts and that put some pressure on her. As long as I hit a green, she knew she had to make some putts to get a win.”
Bowser, 28 and a real-estate agent, called it bad timing.
“I played my worst round of the week in the worst round to do that,” she said. “I just couldn’t get a birdie putt to go, and it was just pars out there until I made mistakes and she took advantage like you have to and got the lead. I got to the finals again and I lost to a good player. I feel good about that.”
