ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Diane Lang successfully defended her title Thursday when she defeated Anna Schultz 1-up at the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur.
‘I’m very excited to have won for a second time,’ said Lang, who became the seventh woman to win consecutive championships. ‘I was hoping that it was going to be a good week, but I thought two in a row might be too much to ask for.’
The last player to win this title in back-to-back years was the legendary Carol Semple Thompson, who won four in a row from 1999 through 2002.
During the 18-hole final at Sea Island Golf Club, Schultz took the first lead of the match with a 45-foot birdie putt at the fourth. Schultz ran home a 6-foot birdie putt at seven and Lang bogeyed eight to trail 3-down.
‘I knew I had to get the lead on the front because the back is longer and she’s a long hitter,’ said Schultz, who was the 2000 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runner-up.
Lang got one back at the ninth with an 8-foot birdie putt and further cut into the margin at 10 when her bogey was good for a victory. She was 1-down and had all the momentum until the 11th tee.
Lang drove behind a tree and Schultz found the putting surface with her second shot at the par-4 hole. Lang punched down the fairway 30 yards short of the hole. Lang holed her third for birdie and the match was all-square when Schultz’s 40-footer for a halve lipped out of the hole.
‘I pictured it in my mind,’ said Lang. ‘I thought I could make it and it just came off perfect. And when I looked up, it was in the hole. So that was my divine intervention shot, for sure.’
Lang missed a short par putt to lose 12, but got a hole back at 14 when her approach stopped inside 4 feet. Schultz missed a par putt from a similar length, conceded the hole and went to No. 15 tee even.
The defending champion drained an 18-foot birdie putt at the 15th to move 1-up. Schultz had her chances to square the match coming in, but missed a 6-footer to win 17 and a 12-footer to extend the match at 18.
‘This is even better than the first time,’ said Lang. ‘The match today was so tough. Anna really played beautifully.’