Crowley runner-up at Georgia Women's Match Play Championship - WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather & Sports

Crowley runner-up at Georgia Women's Match Play Championship

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Carrollton – Former Columbus State University women's golfer Nikki Crowley battled through a field of 44 competitors to finish as the runner-up in the 2012 Women's Match Play Championship held by the Georgia State Golf Association in Carrollton at the Sunset Hills Country Club. The tournament was held from June 12-15. 

Forty-four golfers teed off on Tuesday in stroke play with the top-32 scorers advancing to match play beginning the following day. Crowley was one of the top-finishers shooting a two-over par 74 in stroke play to finish in a tie for third place. Sloan Shanahan of Suwanee earned the first seed firing a one-under par 71 while Crowley was seeded eighth due to tiebreaking procedures. 

In the Round of 32, Crowley defeated Susan Rheney of Greensboro 5&3. Play was called after the 15th hole as the former Lady Cougar was up five holes on her competitor. Later on in the day, Crowley faced off with Annie Swords, the ninth-seed from Newnan. The match was all squared after the seventh before Swords went up three holes on Crowley after the 14th. However, Crowley battled back winning the final four holes to advance. She clinched the match with a birdie on the par five 18th. 

On Thursday, Crowley battled Anna Buchanan of Athens who upset top-seeded Shanahan to reach the quarterfinals. Crowley took an early lead before Buchanan won the 10th and 11th. Crowley knotted the match on the 12th and then the two players shot identical scores through the 18th. In the first playoff hole, Crowley birdied while Buchanan bogeyed sending the Phenix City native to the semifinals. 

In the semifinals, Brenda Pictor jumped out to a two-hole advantage after the front nine. Once again, Crowley responded squaring the match after hole 13. From there, she won the next two holes and then the two players shot pars at the 16th and 17th to clinch the match for Crowley. 

Crowley match up against 10th seeded Laura Cobel of Augusta in the finals Friday morning and held a one-hole lead over most of the first eight holes. Cobel birdied holes nine and 10 to take a hole advantage before Crowley tied the match by winning the 14th hole. On the 15th, Cobel took a hole lead after Crowley bogeyed and later clinch the match by making a clutch birdie on the 17th hole.  

Crowley was two-time All-Peach Belt Conference golfer for Columbus State in 2011 and 2012. She had a career stroke average of 78.1 and had seven top-five finishes in two seasons. Crowley won two events this past season and has three individual medalist honors, the most ever by a Lady Cougar.