Carter tops Marcum in barn burner for first Women’s State Amateur title.

GEORGETOWN, KY (June 22, 2022) – One of the greatest, if not the greatest title match in the storied history of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Women’s Kentucky Amateur took place today at Cherry Blossom Golf Club. Payton Carter (6) edged reigning champion Rylea Marcum (1) 2&1 in a match where the finalists’ best-ball score would have been -11 thru 17 holes.

Carter, a senior for the Murray State Racers, found herself 2 DOWN after the 3^rd hole following a couple of early birdies from the 2021 champion. Carter immediately responded with consecutive birdies on the 4^th and 5^th holes to tie the match and got the lead for the first time on the 7^th hole when another birdie got her 1 UP. Marcum was able to convert a birdie opportunity on the 9^th hole to send them to the back nine at the same spot they were at the start of the match – all even.

Matching pars on the 10^th and 11^th holes gave way to another run of birdies from Carter, as she won the 12^th and 13^th holes to go 2 UP for the first time in the match. Once again, however, Marcum showed her resolve and promptly made two straight birdies of her own on the 14^th and 15^th holes which tied the match back up. A critical bogey from Marcum on the par-three 16^th, one of just two bogeys made in the entire match, gave Carter the lead back heading to the 17^th. With her sixth birdie of the day, Carter ended the match at that point giving the newly crowned 2022 champion a thrilling victory over the 2021 champion.

“I knew I had to make birdies all day to beat (Rylea),” Carter said after the match. “I focused on one shot at a time throughout the day; hit the fairway, hit the green, make the putt. Rylea didn’t miss a putt to start the day, but I was able to get a few holes on her and hold on. It’s been a great year, and this win just adds to it. I’m thankful for the amazing golf I’ve been able to play and for the opportunity to be the champion of this event.”

The tournament’s Senior Championship Division was also decided on Wednesday, where Robin Brockman (2) of Versailles defeated Teena Freibert (1), also from Versailles, with a 5&4 victory. Brockman was 1 UP after 10 holes but won four holes in a row from 11-14 to close the match in style.

Click here to view the final brackets

Click here to view the photo gallery

Off the golf course, the tournament committee announced that Abigayle Buchanan and Kylah Lunsford are the recipients of this year’s Dorothy Waters Scholarship. This recognition is for participants not yet 18 years old who demonstrate exceptional integrity, honor and sportsmanship. Buchanan, Lunsford and their families will use the money from these scholarships to defray the expenses of tournament golf.

The Kentucky Golf Association extends its thanks to Luther Conley, PGA General Manager and the entire staff at Cherry Blossom for their assistance and hospitality throughout the championship. The KGA also lends its appreciation towards each player and spectator who made the 95^th edition of the tournament a special one.

More prestigious women’s golf tournaments in Kentucky are on the way in the coming weeks, as the 26^th Kentucky Women’s Open will be at Bellefonte Country Club on July 11-12. Exactly one month after that, the Kentucky Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship will be at the University Club of Kentucky’s Big Blue course on August 11-12. Each of those tournaments is open for registration and can be completed at the above links.

About the Kentucky Golf Association:
The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is one of the three organizations encompassed under Golf House Kentucky, in addition to the Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF) and Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA). The Kentucky Golf Association represents the amateur body of Kentucky’s golfers working in assistance with the United States Golf Association (USGA). The KGA provides a wide range of services, including handicapping, USGA course and slope ratings, and tournament management software to its Member Clubs. The KGA also operates the state’s premier amateur tournaments along with USGA National Championship qualifiers. Alongside the KGF and KPGA, the KGA strives to promote the benefits and enjoyment of golf while continuing to grow the sport across the Commonwealth.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703