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The Women’s North and South Amateur tournament started this week with 90 of the best women amateur golfers playing the championship course in Pinehurst over two days of Stroke Play, a format that counts the total number of strokes taken during an 18-hole round. At the end of the first two days, only players with the lowest total scores make the cut and advance.

In the next phase, Match Play, the remaining players are ranked and paired against each other based on their previous finish.

In the competitive world of amateur golf, it is not uncommon for the 32nd ranked player to knock off the 1st ranked player in the first round of Match Play, as happened today when Furman University’s Natalie Srinivasan beat Anita Uwadia, a rising junior at the University of South Carolina.

Even defending champion, Isabella Fierro, was beaten today.

Anna Redding, 2017 Runner Up, won her match to advance to her 4th consecutive Quarter Finals with a come-from behind win in her afternoon match.

“Honestly, my caddy, Mark, just kept me in it by telling me let’s hit a good shot right here. And he just kept saying that until we finished.  On top of that, everyone wants to win, and I wasn’t done fighting yet. It was a long day, and I’m really glad I finished strong,” said Redding.

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Defending Champion, Isabella Fierro, lost her match Wednesday in the Round of 16. This photo of Fierro was taken in the 2017 Final Round. 

Points are awarded to the winner of a hole in Match Play. A half point goes to each golfer if the hole is tied. Essentially, each hole becomes a competition in itself. A player can do badly on one hole, but rebound on the next few and end up winning the round.

The field will be cut to 16 for Thursday morning’s Quarter Finals round, then eight for Semi-Finals in the afternoon. By Friday, only two players will remain with a chance to hold the large Putter Boy Trophy, get their name on a bronze plaque and earn the title of 116th Women’s North and South Amateur Champion.

Feature photo: Anna Redding has made it her 4th consecutive Quarter Finals round at the Women’s North and South Amateur. This photo of Redding was taken in 2017 on Pinehurst No. 2. 

Article and photos by John Patota, Sandhills Sentinel Contributor.

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