MGA Press Release

Lansing Defeats Narzisi to Win State Match Play

MEDINA -- The Lansing family donated a much-needed new traveling trophy for the Minnesota Women's State Match Play Championship this year, as well as a smaller trophy that the winner gets to keep. 

So it seemed fitting that the Lansing family also supplied the tournament winner.

Olivia Lansing, who is essentially undefeated in Minnesota this summer, won her fourth title of 2010 on Thursday at Baker National Golf Club with a 4&3 victory over Mary Narzisi.

These were the two players who dominated the proceedings from the start of the Match Play tournament on Monday, when they shared medalist honors with matching 74's. A scorecard playoff gave Narzisi the No. 1 seed and Lansing the No. 2, but it was virtually impossible to choose between them as they cruised toward what seemed like their inevitable confrontation in the final.

On Wednesday, Narzisi was a combined 8 under par in her two victories, over the reigning MGA Women's Player of the Year, Leigh Klasse, in the quarterfinals, and University of Nebraska recruit Steffi Neisen in the semis.

But on Thursday, the flow of birdies from Narzisi's putter dried up, and it was Lansing who made two birdies (and no bogeys) on the front nine, which gave her a 2-up advantage. The Drake University star (Lansing won four college tournaments during the Winter/Spring portion of the Bulldogs' 2009-10 schedule and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year once again to cap off her senior season) hit a 15-yard pitch to 6 feet and made the putt for her first birdie of the day at No. 3, a 446-yard par-5. 

She made a 20-footer for another birdie at the sixth. 

Narzisi's best chances to close the gap came at the 355-yard ninth hole and 481-yard 10th. At No. 9, she hit a 15-foot that looked good all the way but refused to go down and ended up 1 inch beyond the cup on the high side of the hole. 

The Minnesota senior-to-be from Omaha then hit a gorgeous 40-yard wedge to within 4 feet of the cup at No. 10. Her birdie putt was only slightly longer that Lansing's par putt, but Narzisi hit hers just a little too hard and lipped out. Lansing then poured her 3-footer for par into the center of the cup -- and remained 2 up.

"It's the law of averages," said Narzisi, who was philosophical about the loss. "I was 8 under for my two matches, and Olivia should have made eight birdies, but didn't make anything. Today it was her turn to make the putts."

In a couple of cases, she didn't need to putt at all, such as No. 12, a 150-yard par-3 where Lansing hit a 5-hybrid to a foot from the cup and was conceded her birdie. That, combined with Narzisi's three-putt bogey from the hole before, increased the lead to 4 up.

Basically, Lansing hit one bad shot tee to green on Thursday. That was a thinned 3-wood at the 420-yard, par-5 13th hole, and it led to her only bogey.

"That was a terrible bogey," she said. "I made a bad swing with the 3-wood; so then I had to get all of my wedge on the next shot, and I didn't quite do that. And I still wasn't very far from the hole in three (about 25 feet). I probably should have putted instead of chipped. I just gave that hole away."

She wasted no time in restoring her 4-up lead, however. Her wedge approach to a front pin at No. 14 (352, par 4) left her with a 3-foot birdie putt. Narzisi's wedge was nearly as good, but it stopped 3 feet short of the green. From there, she made one of her few mistakes, a careless chip that went 10 feet past. When she missed the come-backer for par, she conceded Lansing's birdie.

Lansing then closed out the match at the 185-yard 15th hole, where her tee shot was just short and right of the green. She chipped to 3 feet and tapped the championship-clinching putt into the center of the cup with perfect speed.

This was the fourth victory in a month on Minnesota turf for Lansing. 

She won the Minnesota Women's Public Golf Association's Match Play Championship in mid-June, and combined with Ben Freeman, who plays for the Drake men's team, to win the MGA Mixed Team Championship two weeks later. 

Last weekend, Lansing came from five shots behind with a final round of 68 at New Prague Golf Club to win the MWPGA's Stroke Play championship. 

In her spare time, she flew to England and made it through the stroke-play qualifying at the British Women's Amateur all the way to the quarterfinals, beating a former champion and two-time Curtis Cupper along the way.

The only tournament she's played in Minnesota and hasn't won wasn't really a tournament. It was the U.S. Amateur Qualifying at Minikahda. Lansing shot 74 and was second to Wisconsin high school prodigy Casey Danielson by a stroke. 

"I think I've improved a lot in the last couple of years," Lansing speculated. "I'm hitting it a little farther, and I've improved my ball-striking. I'm also just older, and I manage my game and my emotions better. When I hit a bad shot, I don't get mad and depressed. I just try to make the next shot a good one. That's all you can do."       

Minnesota Women's State Match Play Championship

At Baker National Golf Club

Par 74, 6,048 yards

Medina

Finals

Open Division
Championship Flight
2) Olivia Lansing, Dellwood Hills GC def. 1) Mary Narzisi, University GC 4 & 3

First Flight
1) Lucia Peterson, Bearpath G&CC def. 2) Beth Krein, Chaska TC 6 & 5

Senior Division
Championship Flight
3) Ann Brilley, Baker National GC def. 1) Deb Hayes, Keller GC 1 up

First Flight
1) Sandy Hanna, Braemar GC def. 2) Carol Dennis, Baker National 6& 5

Medalists
74 Mary Narzisi, University GC & Olivia Lansing, Dellwood Hills GC

Anne Cargill Trophy (Team competition)
Baker National Golf Club (Black Team)
211 Rhonda Keyser Rusch, Ann Brilley and Youngsun Kim