Collegians Dunn, Story play today for women's amateur state golf title

Allyson Dunn of Kingsport hits a sand shot out of the greenside bunker at No. 8 during semifinal play Thursday in the Tennessee Women's Amateur tournament at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club. She plays today for the championship.
Allyson Dunn of Kingsport hits a sand shot out of the greenside bunker at No. 8 during semifinal play Thursday in the Tennessee Women's Amateur tournament at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club. She plays today for the championship.

Chattanooga's dominance in the Tennessee Women's Amateur golf tournament dried up Thursday at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

The area had nine representatives in the round of 16. It had half of the elite eight and two of the final four.

They are all no more.

The championship match, scheduled for 8 this morning, pits Belmont sophomore Katie Story from Dickson against Tennessee Tech sophomore Allyson Dunn of Kingsport.

"This is the furthest I've made it in this tournament," said Dunn, who is playing in her fourth State Amateur. "My previous best was the quarterfinals."

Former Baylor star Blakesly Warren fell first on Thursday in the conclusion of her suspended round-of-16 match against Story. The match reached the 18th hole and had a surprising finish.

"She picked up her ball and I asked if this is good, and she asked what the putt was for and it was for bogey," Story said. "But she had already picked up, and that gave me the win for the match.

"I was kind of shocked because that's not like her."

Jessica Cathey, who prepped at Soddy-Daisy, and Manchester resident and former St. Andrew's-Sewanee standout Jenna Burris were the next to fall - but they fell to other Chattanooga-area players.

Cathey lost 2 and 1 to Baylor senior Katherine Holmes in the quarterfinals.

"I couldn't get my putter going and it had been my best friend all week," said Cathey, who is a senior at Austin Peay. "I had three birdies in a row on the front, but on the back nine she had me the whole time.

"My goal was to reach the top eight, and I did that. Next year I'll reach for the top four."

Burris lost 2 and 1 to former Ooltewah golfer Samantha Griffith on Thursday morning.

"It was a good week, and every match I had was a tough match," Burris said. "Tournaments like this help a lot and definitely make you better."

Holmes and Griffith were on opposite sides of the championship-flight bracket from the outset. If they had won Thursday afternoon, the two friends would be facing each other this morning. But both lost - in different fashions.

Holmes lost the second hole, pulled even on No. 6 but lost No. 7 and trailed by at least one until Dunn tapped in on No. 17 for the 3 and 1 victory.

"I really did have a lot of fun this week, and I loved having the tournament at my home course," Holmes said. "At first I was disappointed to lose, but as I look back, I placed fourth in stroke play and I won three straight matches. Last year, I made it to quarters, so I'm one step ahead."

Griffith, who plays for Lipscomb University, ended her afternoon by chucking her golf ball toward the Tennessee River after losing the first playoff hole.

"No way it reached the river," she later joked. "I really can't say anything, but I choked. I didn't make the shots that I needed to."

Griffith led Story - who is staying with Griffith for the week - 2 up with three holes to play. Story birdied the par-5 No. 16. They both parred No. 17. Story won No. 18 when Griffith couldn't get up and down from a bunker, sending the two Nashville college students to sudden death.

"I knew Katie would turn it on and I knew that she'd birdie the par-5," Griffith said. "I didn't play my best golf, but I'm improving, so I'm happy to see little improvements."

Charleston's Maggie Scott has followed up her Tennessee Golf of Fame induction by reaching the first-flight final, and Hazel Davis of Ooltewah in the second flight, Lyn Thompson of Niota in the third flight and Pam Morrow of Athens in the fourth flight also are playing for championships today.

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP

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