Herman wins AJGA playoff thriller to cap junior career
By Ken MacLeod
Lisa Herman needed every ounce of her composure, nerves and skill to withstand a fantastic round by Quinn Timmerman of Boerne, Texas and conclude her junior career in style by winning the AJGA Junior at Indian Springs Thursday.
Herman, who this year has won the Class 6A state title for Jenks, the PGA High School Golf National Invitational at Pinehurst, and finished top five in the Junior PGA Championship, added her third career AJGA title to her impressive resume the week before she sets sail for her college career at Mississippi.
Herman began the day with the lead, shot 6-under 66 and still got caught by Timmerman, who was 1 over after two holes then birdied nine of the following 16 holes to reach 11 under.
Coming into the par-4 18th, the two were tied at 10-under. Herman’s approach stopped some 10 feet past the hole and Timmerman put it to about 6 feet on the same line. Both girls calmly rolled in their birdies to send it to extra hole.
On the par-4 10th hole, Herman hit her approach to about 8 feet hole high, then Timmerman topped that by hitting her approach within inches of the hole. Again Herman was able to convert while Timmerman tapped in.
Going again on 10, Timmerman hit her approach about 6 feet past the hole. Herman left hers about 17 feet short, but again her birdie putt found the center of the cup. Timmerman pushed her birdie effort just right of the hole and the duel was over, but what a great display by both.
“I think we were really just feeding off each other,” Herman said. “It seemed like she was making birdie on about every hole and I really had to respond. On 18, I knew I had to make that birdie or it was over. And I was just leaning on my past tournament experience knowing I had to make it.”
It was the 44th and likely final AJGA event played by Herman over the years. And she likely won’t be back to Tulsa often after next week as her family is moving to Las Vegas. She won Class 6A as a freshman and then didn’t play high school golf for two years to concentrate on a national schedule. Jenks coach Audra Smalley came out to follow her in her final junior event.
Also among the girls, Megan Kalapura of Tulsa finished fourth at even par after rounds of 70-71-75. Dia Singh of Bixby tied for 12th (72-78-73).
On the boys side, Nathan Brown of Union High School could not hold on to his second-round lead but finished in a tie for second with Reid Habermehl of Tyler at 6-under. Brown shot rounds of 70-66-74. He trailed by just a shot on the 13th hole but Austin Anderson of Gunter, Texas, pulled away with a final round including birdies on holes 15, 16 and 17 to finish at 11 under.
Tyler Robertson of Stillwater finished tied for eighth at 1-under. Jay Wasemiller of Bartlesville tied for 14th at 2 over and Jackson Lamb of Owasso tied for 16th at 3 over.