Two national champions faced off in the finals of the Women's Amateur Championship Friday morning. Three time US Women's Mid-Amateur Champion, Meghan Stasi, and the 2009 French Women's Mid-Amateur Champion, Marie Arnoux, each won their first four matches to reach the finals.
In the final match, Stasi, from Oakland Park, took an early lead with a birdie on the par 5 1st hole. Stasi maintained the 1up lead through seven holes and then birdied the 8th to go 2up. Arnoux, from Miami Beach, birdied the 11th, but Stasi countered with a birdie on the 12th to return to 2up. She then won the 13th to go 3up and she held the lead through the 16th hole where she won the match 3&2 and claimed her second Women's Amateur Championship title (2010 & 2012).
Stasi had support from her husband, Dan, and her father who both followed along during the final match. Stasi's consistent play all week continued in the finals where she hit 14/16 greens, made three birdies and never lost the lead.
In the finals of the Championship Consolation bracket, Gennifer Mendez defeated Carianne Wright 5&4. Mendez, the 2005 and 2008 Women's Amateur champion, fell to local Diane Lang in the first round of matches which moved Mendez into the consolation bracket. Solid play from Mendez held off the talented high school junior from DeBary in the final match.
Strong competition continued in the Field Division's final matches. First Flight was won by fourth seed Leslie Smith, of Jacksonville, who defeated sixth seed Maria Marino, of Coral Springs 2&1. The Second Flight title was claimed by Sandie St. Onge, of Jensen Beach, who defeated Joyce Martin, of Boca Raton, 3&2. Kayla Connors, of Lakeland, defeated Karen Hale of Boynton Beach, 5&4 to win the Third Flight. And in the Fourth Flight, first seed Mary Lafferty, of Boynton Beach, outlasted sixth seed Peggy Butts, of Bal Harbour, 2&1.
