AUGUSTA, GA – Shortly after LSU’s little Latana Stone was knocked out of the 18th inexperienced within the last spherical of the Augusta Girls’s Nationwide Beginner on Saturday, 10-time Grand Slam winner Annika Sørenstam was ready for her hug.
So have been two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a member of Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
Anybody who was inside Stone’s arm may need to console her after she missed two photographs in Saturday’s last two holes, permitting 16-year-old Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif., to win the third ANWA. Stone and his LSU teammate Ingrid Lindblad completed in a tie for second.
“It is heartbreaking,” Stone stated. “I type of knew the place I stood at 17, and I used to be simply considering, Equal. I did not have the best membership and I type of left myself with ups and downs. [on 17]. I used to be attempting to be aggressive and type of misplaced it. I assumed I may get it again at 18, however I had loads occurring in my head with what I used to be in.”
A Class 3 birdie gave 16 Stone a 2-shot lead over Davis. Stone hit the center of the green together with her loaded shot on a par-4 17. Her ball was about 135 yards from the opening, on an uphill lie. She was between the golf equipment and selected a wedge on a 9 iron. Her second shot got here effectively out of the entrance bunker, leaving her tough on the inexperienced.
“I simply knew I did not need to land within the lair and [had to] Stone stated.
Stone, of Riverview, Florida, broke her ball about 40 ft from the opening. She was additionally aggressive together with her first hit, which bought her previous the pit. Then she missed 6 ft for a bogey. Her double bogey dropped her 6 within the tie to take the lead with Davis at 1 underneath.
LSU coach Garrett Runyon stated chopping is not the strongest a part of Stone’s sport. However her shot from the underside of the bunker on Day 17 can be robust for any Augusta Nationwide participant – even one of the best on this planet at subsequent week’s Masters Event.
“She must be the most important viewers she ever performs in entrance of her and with all the things at stake, I do not need to communicate for her, however I feel it is in all probability loads of nerves,” Runyon stated.
This was solely the second time Stone had performed the course. She had a rushed apply spherical at Augusta Nationwide on Friday, after unhealthy climate on Thursday pushed the second spherical at close by Champions Retreat Golf Membership the next day. After the second spherical was accomplished, the sector made its option to Augusta Nationwide for a apply spherical the identical day.
Nevertheless, even after Stone’s first huge mistake within the spherical, he did not lose all the things earlier than hitting stage 18. She may nonetheless win the event with a chook. The parity would put her in a playoff with Davis, who was already on the membership with the one under-par rating among the many 30 gamers within the finals.
Stone pushed her tee into the timber down the best aspect of the 18th lane. I hit the ball and it ended up off the inexperienced. The slide rests about 12 ft from the opening. Needing a shot to power the playoff, she missed the left and made the ghost.
“I wasn’t actually nervous in the present day,” Stone stated. “I type of felt snug there. On the primary shot, I used to be a bit of nervous. At 18, I used to be feeling a bit of bit like that as a result of I made a silly mistake on 17. Aside from that, I used to be actually snug there. He was assured, and I assumed I performed effectively.”
Stone obtained a standing ovation as she exited Inexperienced Zone 18.
“I am actually overwhelmed,” she stated. “I wasn’t anticipating it. It type of made me actually cry. I’ve by no means had an viewers as huge as this asking for his or her help. I will cherish it eternally. I will bear in mind strolling there down there and listening to my identify and ‘Go Tigers!'” All their help made me really feel so significantly better. “.
Lindblad, from Sweden, watched her teammate collapse late on TV within the recording room.
“It was harder to observe than play,” Lindblad stated. “I used to be so excited for it. You by no means know what is going on to occur in these final two slots.”
Nevertheless, it was an thrilling week for Stone, who received the Orlando Girls’s Worldwide title in January. She has three locations within the prime 10 in eight begins for LSU this season.
“She’ll be a bit of upset at first, however then she’ll recover from it and notice it is a studying expertise for her,” stated her father, Michael Stone. “You are going to develop stronger from that and construct on this. It is golf. There’s just one winner and there is at all times a bunch of losers. We’re OK with that.”
Runyon stated he hopes the expertise will stimulate Stone extra because the Tigers head into the post-season in a few weeks.
“I feel she is going to absorb loads of positives,” Runyon stated. “Deep down, it may damage, however I feel generally she’d depart feeling like she had an unimaginable time and that she needed to play Augusta Nationwide. She performed nice. She was on TV. She had lots of people watching. Life is nice. Can There could possibly be worse issues.”
As Stone spoke to her dad and mom and her pack after the tour, she started to wipe her tears. A person in a inexperienced sweater handed her a handkerchief.
“[I’ll] “Simply put my arms round her, and inform her I really like her and I am pleased with her,” Michael Stone stated. I am glad she bought the possibility to play and expertise the followers and all that stuff. It is a good factor. We’re okay. We’ll be again subsequent yr – stronger.”
