ROCHESTER – Jessica Jolly of Rockford marks it on her calendar each year – the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland.
“It’s one of the best tournaments of the summer, and to play well so far and get a win today and have another match tomorrow is super exciting,” she said after beating the 2021 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Kim Dinh of Midland 4 and 3 Wednesday on the Katke-Cousins Course at Oakland University Golf & Learning Center.
With the win in the round of 32 over Dinh, who also has the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship win on her resume, Jolly, a University of Nebraska golfer, reached the celebrated Sweet 16 in the state championship for the third time.
She will play Bridget Boczar of Canton and Baylor University Thursday morning in the Round of 16. Quarterfinal matches are in the afternoon, and the semifinals and the final match are on Friday.
As always on the first day of match play, multiple story lines developed throughout the day.
Medalist and No. 1 seed Lauren Timpf of Macomb and Purdue University moved on to the Sweet 16 in the first match of the day with a 6 and 5 win over Olivia Griswold of Portage, the GAM Girls’ Champion earlier this summer.
Defending champion Macie Elzinga of Byron Center and Bowling Green State University made the Sweet 16, as did Shannon Kennedy of Beverly Hills, the recent Michigan State graduate who won the Women’s Amateur in 2024.
Elzinga won the last two holes to turn back Caroline Ellis of Haslett, the assistant women’s golf coach at Michigan State, 1-up, and Kennedy had the shortest match of the day, beating Oakland University golfer Lily Bargamian of Grosse Ile, 7 and 6.
Brooke Morris of Canton and Central Michigan University won the 18th hole with a par and kept 2019 Women’s Amateur Champion Elayna Bowser of Dearborn from advancing by beating her 1-up.
Oakland University golfer Logan Bentley of Addison was another lower seed to move on to the Sweet 16 by beating Sophie Stevens of Highland and the University of Florida, 2 and 1.
Cameron Baker of Novi, 16, is the youngest golfer in the Sweet 16. She beat Alena Li of Okemos 2 and 1.
Sophia Skoog of Ada and Belmont University (TN) is in the Sweet 16 for the first time. She made a birdie on No. 18 and beat Abigail Slankster of Duquesne University (PA) 1-up.
Former University of Michigan Golfer Anika Dy of Traverse City had the longest match of the day, topping Olivia Hemmila of Troy and Purdue University, in 21 holes. She birdied the par 3 No. 3 for the win.
Jolly realized in taking on Dinh that she was playing the most experienced and most successful player in the field, and Dinh took an early 1-up lead on the second hole.
A birdie by Jolly at No. 6 tied the match, and she won No. 7 with a par and built on the lead as the match advanced.
“I’ve not played against Kim before and obviously respect the heck out of everything she’s done in her golf career,” Jolly said. “And she’s super talented, and I know she has had a lot of success in match play, especially. I tried to just focus on what I could control today. I did a good job of just staying where my feet were, keeping my focus on what I could, and it worked out well.”
Skoog had one of the more dramatic putts of the day, making a 20-foot birdie putt to beat Slankster on the 18th hole.
“I was so nervous,” she said. “I stepped up and I was shaking, but I kind of had the mindset of if I make it, I make it, if I don’t, it’s okay. I was nervous, but I knew my line, knew my speed and I felt confident.”
THE SWEET 16
Lauren Timpf,19, Macomb, Purdue University golfer
Sophia Skoog, 20, Ada, Belmont University golfer
Anika Dy, 25, Traverse City, Partnerships & Engagement Coordinator for the GAM
Cameron Baker, 16, Novi, Northville High School golfer
Grace Slocum, 19, Traverse City, University of Wisconsin golfer
Macie Elzinga, 20, Byron Center, Bowling Green State University golfer
Brooke Morris, 20, Canton, Central Michigan University golfer
Kate Brody, 21, Grand Blanc, University of Wisconsin golfer
Bridget Boczar, 22, Canton, Baylor University golfer
Jessica Jolly, 20, Rockford, University of Nebraska golfer
Olivia Stoll, 22, Haslett, Assistant General Manager at Twin Oaks GC
Shannon Kennedy, 23, Beverly Hills, recent Michigan State University golfer
Elise Fennell, 20, Kentwood, Central Michigan University golfer
Logan Bentley, 19, Addison, Oakland University golfer
Ashleigh Duflo, 20, Ada, University of Findlay golfer
Megha Vallabhaneni, 22, Northville, Recent Western Michigan University Golfer
