Deems captures 2017 GSGA Women's Match Play Championship

Mercer University golfer Hannah Mae Deems of Taylorsville captured the 2017 Georgia State Golf Association Women’s Match Play Championship Saturday afternoon on the Great Waters Golf Course at Reynolds Plantation Lake Oconee in Eatonton.

Deems, low medalist with a 3-under-par 141 (71-70) 36-hole total in stroke play qualifying, was the top-seed in the match play portion of the championship and swept four opponents to take the GSGA title on the 6,007-yard, par-72 layout.

She took wins over Meghan Nay (2&1) of Canton and Woo Wade (5&4) of Dunwoody in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals on Friday.

Against Nay — a University of Louisville redshirt sophomore— Deems survived a back-and-forth match and actually trailed by one hole through number seven, but rallied to win holes 12, 15, and 16 down the stretch for her opening win.

Deems’ victory over Wade was a bit more dominant. She went 3-up on the Marist High School sophomore through four holes and was 5-up through 12 as she cruised into Saturday’s semifinals.

Saturday, Deems rallied from 1-down through 17 holes to defeat 4th-seeded Tess Davenport of Buford in the semifinals. She tied the match by winning the 18th and then won on the first extra hole. It was the third extra holes match of the tournament for Davenport of Mill Creek High School.

In the finals, 20-year-old Deems defeated Caroline Craig of Sautee Nacoochee 5&4. Deems broke the match open by winning back-to-back holes on holes 5 and 6 and then completed the run with hole wins at 10, 11, and 13. She closed out the match with a par on the par-3, 14th hole.

Craig had reached the finals with wins over Payton Schanen of Johns Creek in the Round of 16 (3&1), Ashley Madden of Stockbridge in the quarterfinals (20 holes) and Katy Harris of St. Simons Island in the semifinals (3&2).