JACKSON TOWNSHIP — Shelby Warner and and Morgan Barnett had two of the four best scores on the first day of qualifying in the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament, but still welcomed a bit of a turnaround on the second day on Thursday.
Warner, a junior at the University of Findlay, was the medalist in the championship flight qualifying at 152 following back-to-back rounds of 76. Barnett, a freshman at the University of Northwestern Ohio from Indian Lake, had Thursday’s low round of 74 and was one stroke back of Warner in the overall qualifying with a 153.
The turnaround for Warner was how she finished. She played the back nine at Hidden Creek Golf Club in even par 36 after finishing her Wednesday round there with a triple bogey and a bogey for a 40 on the back.
Her Wednesday struggles carried on into Thursday when she had a 40 on the front nine before things changed.
“It was a slow start on the front, I couldn’t find my swing, I couldn’t find a good momentum. But on the back, I just kind of swung a little slower, relaxed a little bit and started hitting more greens and making more putts,” Warner said. “Definitely, I’m glad with the way I finished versus yesterday.”
Barnett’s turnaround moment came on the greens. On Wednesday, she had three 3-putts and a 4-putt on the front nine. But Thursday in only her second time playing at Hidden Creek, she enjoyed a much better putting day.
“My putting was a lot better. I finally got the speed of the greens down from what I’m used to playing,” she said.
Warner, Barnett and Sandy Doan, who shot 76 on Thursday and 159 overall, automatically advanced to Saturday’s championship flight match play semifinal round at Country Acres Golf Club in Kalida. Rebekah Rader (76-83—159) and Carol Mitchell (88-90—178) will play today to determine the other semifinalist.
With just 22 golfers in the tournament, there will be only 12 players on the course today at the Bluffton Golf Club in the first round of match play.
Some players are taking the day off, but many others will be playing somewhere.
Dar Hollar, who had the low qualifying score in the senior flight, said she and some friends had already scheduled a tee time at Country Acres before the Match Play tournament began.
“A group of us travel every Friday and go different places. That’s where they were going tomorrow, so I’m going to go up and enjoy myself, look at the course a little bit and hopefully come back and win Saturday,” she said.
Warner said, “I’ll probably play tomorrow. If not I’ll probably come out to the range and chip and putt a little so I’m not just sitting at home doing nothing. I want to keep the momentum going.”
Barnett didn’t even wait until Friday to play again. She and her dad play in a men’s league on her home course, Cherokee Hills, near Bellefontaine, on Thursdays. After finishing her round at Hidden Creek, they headed off to play nine more holes.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Shelby Warner watches her shot Thursday from the ninth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.shelbywarner1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Shelby Warner watches her shot Thursday from the ninth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Morgan Barnett watches her shot Thursday from the sixth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.morgan1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Morgan Barnett watches her shot Thursday from the sixth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Sharon Reaman watches her shot Thursday from the 14th tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.reamon1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Sharon Reaman watches her shot Thursday from the 14th tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Carol Jackson reacts after making a birdie putt Thursday on the sixth hole at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.caroljackson1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Carol Jackson reacts after making a birdie putt Thursday on the sixth hole at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Carol Mitchell chips onto the sixth green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.carolmitchell1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Carol Mitchell chips onto the sixth green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Amy Newland chips onto the 12th green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.newland1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Amy Newland chips onto the 12th green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Dar Hollar watches her shot Thursday from the 14th tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.darhollar1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Dar Hollar watches her shot Thursday from the 14th tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Rebekah Rader watches her tee shot Thursday from the sixth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.rader_1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Rebekah Rader watches her tee shot Thursday from the sixth tee at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News Connie Shutt chips onto the eighth green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2015/07/web1_07.24.15.shutt_1.jpgRichard Parrish | The Lima News Connie Shutt chips onto the eighth green Thursday at Hidden Creek Golf Club during the second round of qualifying for the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament.
