STANLEY, N.C. – LSU freshman women’s golfer Austin Ernst used a dominating round of golf to win the championship match of the Carolinas Women’s Match Play Tournament which finished Thursday at the Cowans Ford Country Club.
Ernst had a seven-under round going on her card when her championship match was over on the 15th hole, winning 4 and 3 over Dawn Woodard. Woodard played her college golf at Furman.
Ernst, of Seneca, S.C., captured her second CGA major championship title of the year with her win. But she had to get through a semifinal match to get to the finals.
The 18-year-old Ernst faced off against Courtney Taylor of Gastonia, N. C. Ernst was 4 up after 13 but Taylor found her putting stroke and went on to birdie holes 14, 15, and 16 to get back to only 1 down. Both players made a par on the par-3 17th. Ernst missed her par putt for the win on 18 and the two opponents headed into extra holes. Taylor’s chip shot almost found the bottom of the hole but Ernst pulled out the win in 19 holes after her bunker shot landed to within inches for birdie.
“Courtney (Taylor) had me scared there,” Ernst said. “I was 4 up thinking I was getting ready to close out the match and then all of a sudden she started putting in from everywhere. It was a good match.”
In the finals against the 35-year-old Woodard of Greer, S.C., Ernst started off strong by making an eagle on the par 5 1st and then went onto make a birdie on the second hole. “
All I was trying to do was to get it close on every hole,” said Ernst. “I just happened to make all my putts too.” Ernst went out with a four under 31 and found herself 3 up after nine holes. Ernst then birdied the 10th hole to go four up and never looked back. Ernst was dormie on the par 4 14th but Woodard would make her birdie putt to extend the match to the 15th hole. Both players made birdie and Ernst closed out the match 4 & 3.
At this point in her round Ernst was already 7-under par. A member of the club who was watching the match asked her to finish out her round to see if she could break the course record. Ernst went on to par out the last three holes and carded a 64 on the day. While Woodard was disappointed with a runner-up finish she felt like she played well.
Ernst won the Vicki DiSantis Junior Girls’ Championship earlier this year as her last junior event. She will now play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier before making the journey for her first season of play at LSU.