Blakesly Warren, rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee, walks and looks at her putt on the 18th green during the 83rd Tennessee Women's Amateur Championship on Tuesday at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.There is no more laying up.
The Tennessee Women's Amateur golf tournament will begin its match-play competition this morning after Riley Rennell of Columbia earned medalist honors with a 2-under-par 142 Monday and Tuesday at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer Megan Woods watches her drive Tuesday during competition in the 83rd Tennessee Women's Amateur Championship at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.Conservative game plans are gone and aggressive lines, bold shots and risky plays will be common over the next few days.
"You play more aggressively because your score doesn't matter," said former Baylor School star Blakesly Warren, the No. 2 seed in the match-play tree.
"There are a couple of short par-5s that you can go for and a couple of short par-4s where you can do different things," said Warren, who shot a 2-over 146. "I'm in good shape with a good seed."
Samantha Griffith, the former Ooltewah star who now plays for Lipscomb University, is the third seed after posting a 147.
Warren, Griffith and former St. Andrew's-Sewanee standout Jenna Burris, who tied for ninth Tuesday with a 153, reached the match-play portion of the Women's Western National Amateur Championship last weekend in Brentwood, Tenn.
So the different style of golf is fresher for them than some other participants the rest of the week on the river.
"We got a lot of experience playing in the Western," Warren said. "It will give me confidence and it will be fresh. Usually we don't play a lot of match play, but we'll still be in match-play mode."
Current Baylor School golfer Katherine Holmes is seeded No. 4 after a 149, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Megan Woods holds the fifth seed after a 151.
"In match play, you have to be risky," Holmes said. "If it's a par-5, you go for it in match play, but maybe not in stroke. It's not as much pressure. I like match play."
The three UTC participants - Woods, coach Colette Murray, who tied for ninth in stroke play, and Sarah Dolmovich, who tied for 18th at 157 - want to avoid each other as long as possible.
Jenna Burris prepares to line-up her putt on the 18th green Tuesday in the 83rd Tennessee Women's Amateur Championship at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.That didn't happen last year. Dolmovich lost in the first round to teammate and eventual champion Emily McLennan. Dolmovich caddied for her the rest of the tournament.
"Hopefully another Moc will walk away with the win," Dolmovich said.
Neither UTC player really wants to take on Murray.
"I had a friendly match with Coach here on Saturday and we finished all-square," Dolmovich said. "We decided not to play it off."
No other match this week will end all-square.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP