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Isabel Southard wins WGAM Amateur Championship

CONCORD — Thursday afternoon was going to mark a difficult round of golf for Isabel Southard, and not because it was the final match of the Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

Well, that had something to do with it, but Southard’s opponent in the final was Jacquelyn Eleey, one of her closest friends. Never before had they competed against each other with so much at stake.

They played a match at Concord Country Club that both can be proud of, with Eleey erasing a three-hole deficit to make it all square after No. 11, then coming from two holes down to again pull even through 17.

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But it was Southard who won the last hole, and the championship, rolling in an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18 after Eleey had burned the edge on a 40-foot birdie try. On a day that featured plenty of laughter between the friends, Southard capped a dominant week by making sure she got the last one.

“It was tough. Neither of us wants to beat each other, but obviously we both wanted to win,” said Southard, who had her father, Peter, serving as caddie. “It was fun, we had a good time, but it was a grind.”

That might be an appropriate way for Southard to describe the final match, but her week seemed to be a breeze. She was the stroke-play medalist in Monday’s qualifying round, shooting a 3-under-par 67 on a course she had never seen. Then Southard won five matches without trailing in any. She won twice on Tuesday — 8 and 7, 5 and 4 — then moved into the semifinals with a 3-and-2 victory during Wednesday’s steady rain.

Southard and Eleey won their semifinal matches Thursday morning by 5-and-3 scores: Southard beat No. 4 seed Elizabeth Gudas, while Eleey eliminated sixth-seeded Lisa Anderson. That set the stage for the top two match-play seeds; Eleey shot 72 in Monday’s qualifier, which was also her first look at the course.

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She fell three holes down early, with Southard winning Nos. 3, 5, and 6. But Eleey won No. 7, then almost made a hole-in-one at the par-3 ninth, her tee shot finishing 5 inches away. Southard’s 5-footer for birdie and the halve slid by, and her lead was down to one hole.

It was gone when Eleey won the 11th hole with a par, but Southard quickly built it back to a two-hole advantage, winning Nos. 13 and 14, when she rolled in a 15-footer for birdie.

Eleey had one more comeback in her, taking the 16th hole with a two-putt par, and the par-5 17th after Southard’s second shot found the hazard. That sent the match to the 18th hole, with all the momentum on Eleey’s side. But Southard, who turns 20 on Wednesday, was up for the challenge.

“You can’t really ask for much more, to be in the final match with one of my best friends,” said Eleey, who leaves next week for Georgetown, where she’ll be a freshman on the women’s golf team. “It was a different experience that I wasn’t used to, but I’m glad I got to have it. I tried my best and couldn’t beat her on 18. Perfect drive, perfect second shot, perfect putt. Izzy played awesome. I’m very happy for her.”

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After graduating from Sharon High School, Southard began her college career at Boston College but transferred after her first year to the University of Denver, where she’ll be a junior. She’ll take with her the memory of standing over a birdie putt at the last hole to win the state’s most prestigious women’s tournament, over one of her best friends.

“Over the putt I was nervous but I felt really confident, it was one of those sixth sense things I get sometimes where I just felt like I would make it,” said Southard. “I stepped up to it and tried to make the best stroke I could with my hands shaking.”

In the Presidents flight, Wendy Masler beat Robyn St. Clair, 2 up, in a final that also was pushed to the 18th hole.


Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeWhitmer.