Green bows in match play at U.S. Amateur

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 7 August 2019 at 3:59 pm

Photo Contributed by USGA – Melanie Green hits a tee shot at the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship.

A late comeback bid fell just short as Medina’s Melanie Green was eliminated this afternoon in the first round of match play competition at the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship being held at the Old Waverly Golf Course at West Point, Miss.

Dylan Kim from Texas nipped Green 2 up in the round of 64 match play competition.

Trailing by three strokes after Kim birdied the 13th hole, Green came rallying back.

She first cut the deficit to two on the 15th hole as a bogey was enough to better Kim’s double bogey.

Then Green sliced the deficit to just one by posting a par on the 17th hole which Kim bogeyed.

Kim then locked up the victory by registering a birdie on 18 which Green parred.

“Mel has so much to be proud of. She played great!!”, said her mother Melissa Green.

At the outset, Green bogeyed the first hole and then fell behind by three strokes after just 8 holes. Kim birdied the 5th and 8th while Green bogeyed both holes.

Green pulled to within two with a birdie on 9 but Kim quickly upped the lead back to three with a birdie on 10.

Again at 11 Green cut the deficit to two as a par better Kim’s double bogey.

However, Kim again quickly got the advantage back to three with a birdie on 13 which Green parred.

That set the stage for Green’s late comeback bid which saw her close to within one with one hole to go.

It was a steady round for Green who had 12 pars, 3 birdies and 3 bogeys.

Green advanced to the match play portion of the tournament by posting a one over par total after the first two days of stroke play competition.