Women's Golf Chattanooga Media Relations

Emma de Groot Falls in 19 Holes at U.S. Women?s Amateur

de Groot never trailed in the match until the final playoff hole

BARRINGTON, R.I. --- Chattanooga Mocs departing senior Emma de Groot (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia) dropped a heart-breaking match to Nicole Morales in 19 holes at the United States Women's Amateur Wednesday morning. de Groot led for nearly the entire match before a furious finish by Morales at Rhode Island Country Club.

The match was all square through six holes when de Groot made her move. She won three of the next four holes to take a 3up lead playing through 10 the four-hole stretch par-birdie-par-par. Morales birdied the par five 11th hole to cut it to a 2up lead for the Mocs standout, which held for the next five holes as the duo halved their way toward the finish.

After both ladies carded birdies on the 395-yard par four 16th, de Groot was dormie up two with two holes to play. But Morales was up to the challenge.

She birdied the last two holes to force the match to extra holes. de Groot bogeyed at the first to end the match at 19 holes.

de Groot played level par for her 18 holes with two birdies, 14 pars and two bogeys. She and fellow senior Christine Wolf (Igls, Austria) are the first Mocs women's golfers to play in the U.S. Women's Amateur.