Amateurs Cream of 2011 Mass. Women's Open Crop

Professional golfers are used to giving lessons, but the 15 assorted pros who entered the 21st at in Melrose were consigned to the classroom yesterday as a pair of amateurs schooled the field and ended the tournament with a thrilling playoff on day number two.

Thirteen-year-old Megan Khang of Rockland and 23-year-old Ellie Dutch of Moodus, Conn. ended the 36 holes of regulation play deadlocked at 143, forcing a decisive three-hole sudden death playoff.

After Khang narrowly missed a putt for par on the third playoff hole (par-3 No. 8), Dutch needed to cover some 45 yards in two shots to capture the overall Open crown and was able to do so.

“I was very nervous,” said Dutch of playing in her first Mass. Women’s Open. “But I just came off the Connecticut Open a few weeks ago, and I was low amateur there, so that was a good cushion for me. I felt a little more comfortable than I would have otherwise.”

As for her playoff opponent, Dutch was as impressed with her play as were those in the gallery.

“(Khang’s) good, she’s strong-headed,” Dutch said. “It doesn’t look like she gets too nervous. It makes me nervous looking at her because she’s so calm ... She hits into a sand trap and she’s not too upset about that. She is a really good player and she has a huge future ahead of her. Huge.”

Khang played the Mass. Women’s Open last year, carding the third lowest score of any amateur, and finished the tournament at three under par. This time around, the young player who has been referred to as a golf prodigy since she was just 11, played even better and further solidified her status as one of the top amateur golfers in the state—age notwithstanding.

“I played okay, I just had a few bad holes, but everything happens for a reason,” said the 13-year-old phenom. 

Khang shot a 1-under-70 yesterday, a good round for anyone, let alone a recent middle school graduate, but Dutch—who was three strokes off the pace to begin the day—snapped off a remarkable 3-under-68 to force the playoff.

The tie-breaker began at the 18th tee (par-4), and nearly went no further as Dutch was just a ten-foot putt away from winning on the first hole, but watched her attempt miss by mere inches and wound up matching pars with Khang.

Dutch sliced her drive to the right of a small copse of trees on the second hole (par-4 No. 10) and was forced to use her second shot to get the ball back on the fairway. She then deftly spotted the ball about 10 feet from the flag, but the door was left swinging for her opponent. 

Khang did her best to capitalize on the opportunity, but her putt for birdie rolled up just short of the hole and she tapped in for par, leaving Dutch with a do-or-die putt, which she duly deposited.

“I was just thinking that I have to make this,” said the UConn graduate of the crucial playoff putt. “I didn’t want to aim a foot-and-a-half out, but it was a bender, so I just trusted it, kept my head down and it was perfect.”

Dutch said she plans to attend the Futures Tour qualifying school in Daytona, Fla. next month.

Kristin Walla of Greenwich, Connecticut finished third overall at 144—shooting a 1-over-72 on both days—and was the top professional at the tournament, followed by Lynn Valentine of East Lyme, Connecticut.

Walla pocketed a check for $1,200 for her efforts.

“I definitely had fun out there,” said Walla, who was also playing in her first Mass. Women’s Open. “Going into the (second) day, I knew I needed to shoot under par to pull it off. I wasn’t going to assume that everyone else would back off.”

Walla was paired with the two other low shooters from day one, meaning she was grouped with Khang and Amanda McPhee of Winchester. 

“It was kind of match play by the back nine, and I just didn’t roll the birdies in today,” Walla said. “(Bellevue is) a great, fun little nine-hole course and it’s in good shape. You know you’ve got to leave it below the hole, and I just didn’t hit it close enough to the hole today. I played steady, but that just wasn’t going to cut it.”

Neck and neck with Khang coming into hole number 17, the University of Albany graduate faltered ever so slightly, but just enough to leave her on the outside of the playoff looking in after the final hole.

“I hit a horrible tee shot and left myself with a long bunker shot,” she said. “I failed to get up and down. That was the shot ... I had to make no mistakes coming in, but I did.”

Heading into day two, Walla held a slim lead over Khang and the 24-year-old McPhee, who ended the opening round tied for second place. In third was Valentine, who won the Open in 2001, while Dutch, Milton’s Claire Sheldon and Jeanine Aronica of Garden City, New York all carded 75’s on day one to stay within striking distance of the leaders.