NEWNAN, GA — Emile Burger from Hoschton, won her first Yamaha Georgia Women’s Open which was conducted for the fourth time in the event’s history at Canongate at Summer Grove Golf Club in Newnan.
Burger carded a steady round of even par 72 which included 3 birdies, one bogey, and one nearly disastrous double bogey on the 16th hole to finish at five-under par 139. Two-time Georgia Women’s Open champion Margaret Shirley of Roswell made a bogey on the 18th hole to end up alone in second place at four-under par 140.
Burger, a rising sophomore at the University of Georgia, had a three shot lead with three holes to play as she stood on the tee of the 167 yard par three 16th hole. Her tee shot just came up short of the green, and her chip shot went by the hole to about six feet. Burger then missed her par attempt, and went to tap in for bogey from a very short distance-but her putt caught the edge of the hole and lipped out. She made the next one for an untidy double bogey and her lead was cut to one shot over her playing partner and assistant golf coach at UGA, Shirley.
Shirley, a former Auburn All-American, who won this championship in 2006 and 2008 went on to birdie the par four 17th hole to capture her first share of the lead and was in prime position to add another title in the state championship of women’s golf in Georgia.
Her drive on the 18th hole found the deep fairway bunker and she had to lay up to about 100 yards away from the hole. Burger’s drive found the center of the fairway and she hit a 7-iron from 158 yards just over the flagstick to ten feet. The diminutive Shirley would not go away as she hit her third shot to six feet right of the hole. Burger’s birdie attempt just slid by the hole to about 12 inches, but she wisely chose to mark her putt. Shirley’s par saving attempt to force a playoff was a bit firm and didn’t take the break. She tapped in for a bogey. Burger with thoughts of the near disaster on the 16th hole quickly tapped in her putt for par and the championship and the coveted W.A. (Bill) Roquemore trophy. Bill Roquemore was the founder of the Canongate family of golf courses and a long time supporter of women’s golf in Georgia.
The defending champion sixteen year old, Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale, carded an even par round of 72 and finished the tournament at three-under par 141 and alone in third place.
Finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place were University of Georgia player, Kendall Wright of Suwanee and two professionals who tied for the low professional honors, Futures Tour player Carmen Bandea of Atlanta and Lacy Agnew of Jonesboro who was making her professional debut.
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