STATE AM: Another first-time winner (06/29)

Jill Pickett

Beverly Games holds her follow through as she watches her shot on the 13th hole in the championship flight final match against Lauren Anderson on Friday in the Women's Kentucky State Amateur Championship at the Elizabethtown Country Club.

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Jill Pickett

Lauren Anderson watches her tee shot to start the 12th hole in her championship flight final match against Beverly Games on Friday in the Women's Kentucky State Amateur Championship at the Elizabethtown Country Club.

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By CHUCK JONES cjones@thenewsenterprise.com ELIZABETHTOWN — Beverly Games entered the 82nd Women’s Kentucky State Amateur Championship with one goal in mind: She didn’t want to beat herself. Games accomplished that goal as she reached the championship match. But what Games didn’t count on was running into her clone. Enter Laura Anderson. Anderson started off Friday’s championship match strong and held off a late-charging Games for a 1-up victory in front of a large gallery at Elizabethtown Country Club to become the seventh consecutive first-time winner of the event. “I came off the third hole and said to Andy (her husband), ‘I’ve run into myself,’” Games said. “I wasn’t playing bad, but I was down three holes. I played like Laura this week. I knew I was in trouble.” Anderson, a former Monroe County High School standout and a member of the University of Louisville women’s team, couldn’t believe she capped the week with an improbable run to the title. Anderson played 107 holes, including Monday’s qualifying round, while Games had played only 57 holes before her semifinal match went 19 holes Thursday. “It hasn’t hit me yet,” Anderson said. “I’m glad I won, but I can’t believe it’s over. It feels like I have to play someone else tomorrow. It was a great week and it feels good to finally win.” Before the tournament began, Anderson made a change in her swing. She even considered pulling out of the tournament but decided against it. “I went to a different swing to generate more power,” Anderson said. “I’m trying to get ready for the college season. I guess the changes worked out. I hit the ball better and I hit it with more consistency. I made good contact. I wasn’t expecting to win it because of the changes in my swing.” This season at Louisville, her best finish was a third place in the team’s own tournament. “It feels good to win again,” Anderson said. “Golf is so much about confidence and it’s good to have that confidence again. To hold that trophy again, it’s indescribable. There’s a lot of pressure to win, but it was a fun time.” Although she was disappointed with the loss, Games, an Elizabethtown resident, said she had an outstanding week in her run to the final match. “I had a decent day on Monday,” Games said. “On Tuesday, I played better than I’ve ever played. I wanted to be playing on Friday and that came true. If you had told me I’d be in the finals of the championship flight, I would have gladly taken it. I have nothing to be ashamed of.” Anderson, a Louisville sophomore, birdied three of the first four holes to take a 3-up lead before Games started chipping away at Anderson’s lead. Games won the fifth hole and took advantage of two bogeys by Anderson on the seventh and eighth holes to even the match. On the par-4, 333-yard seventh, Anderson was on in two, but her birdie putt slid past the hole and she missed her comebacker. Anderson pulled her eight-foot par putt to the right on the par-4, 248-yard eighth hole. “I had a bogey on seven every day,” Anderson said. “I don’t know what it was about that hole. I was inside her ball and I three-putted. I knew I had to battle back.” Games had a chance to take the lead on the par-4, 323-yard ninth hole. She was on in two and had a 12-foot birdie putt to win the hole, but a three-putt cost her a golden opportunity. “I had four putts that should have fallen, but didn’t,” Games said. “She played good golf, and when you do that, you tend to get the breaks.” On No. 10, a par-5, 420-yard hole, Anderson took the lead in the match as she rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt. The turning point in the match came on the par-4, 309-yard 14th. Anderson had to take a drop after her tee shot. She hit the flag on her third shot, and then rolled in a 20-foot par-saving putt to not lose the hole. “That was big,” Anderson said. “I was trying to get it close. I couldn’t see the pin, so I ran into the fairway after I hit it and I heard it hit (the flag). I felt confident over my putt and thankfully it went in.” Games, though, bounced back on the next hole, the par-4, 316-yard 15th. She stuck her approach shot within five feet of the cup and rolled in her birdie putt to even the match. “Fourteen was huge, because if she doesn’t save par, I’m up one after the birdie on 15,” Games said. The 16th hole proved to be the difference in the match. Anderson saved par on the par 3 after missing to the right of the green. Games’ tee shot went to the left side of the green, but the pin was in the back right of the green. She ended up making a bogey after a three-putt to give Anderson a 1-up lead. “That first putt on 16 was a tough one, but I just misjudged it,” Games said. “I knew I had to make a three on the hole, but I just didn’t hit it and I left myself a difficult putt on the hill.” Anderson was standing over her putt, but for one of the few times in the match, she walked away from it. After briefly looking over the putt again, Anderson calmly sank an 8-foot birdie putt. “It was a double breaker,” Anderson said. “My dad didn’t like the way I was set up and I didn’t want to hit it if he didn’t have a good vibe.” After both players made par on 17, it came down to the par-5, 477-yard 18th. Anderson was safely on in three and was within 20 feet. Games, on the other hand, needed to make a 40-foot birdie putt to put the pressure on Anderson. But Games missed it, and although Anderson missed her putt, it was close enough for Games to concede the match. “I told my dad, ‘I bet you $5 she makes it,’” Anderson said. “I expected her to make it. In match play, you always expect them to make their putts. I wanted to make that putt so bad. I made three pretty decent shots, but I didn’t want to be too aggressive. It was just a great feeling.” Chuck Jones can be reached at 505-1759