Hole 17: par 4, 394 yards
Both players hit down the right side of the fairway and were left with tough angles to the green. Leach was about 200 yards from the back hole location and needed to take relief from casual water. Port had 190 yards to the flagstick and also took relief. Leach made a big shot and hit the rough, just short of the green and to the right. Her pitch came to 8 feet from the hole. Port found the leftside rough, 50 yards from the hole. Her pitch was 15 feet short, leaving her a tricky ridge running diagonally through her line. Port's putt was just short and conceded for bogey. Putting to stay in the championship, Leach just missed her putt to the right. The halved hole gave the win to Ellen Port.
Port wins, 2 and 1
Hole 16: par 3, 147 yards
Leach had the honor and hit 30 feet right, hole high. Port was a half-club long and dropped 20 feet away, Both players were on the fringe. Leach lagged her birdie putt to 2 feet for a conceded par. Port's putt to win the hole and the championship just slid by, but she proceeds to the 17th 2 up and dormie.
Port, 2 up and dormie
Hole 15: par 5, 486 yards
Both players were in the fairway, but Port to the right and Leach to the left. Port had to take relief from casual water. Leach was 85 yards away from a layup, and Port shot to 70. Leach hit a nice third shot to 6 feet, but Port came right back and knocked hers to 1 foot. Leach conceded Port's birdie and promptly converted her own birdie putt to halve another hole. This was the second hole of the match halved with birdies - the par-4 third was also halved with 3s.
Port, 2 up
Hole 14: par 4, 392 yards
The 14th tee has been moved up from the morning round due to standing water in the landing area. Crews are hard at work ahead of the players, squeegeeing the fairways. Port and Leach were both on the fairway off the tee, Port with 120 to the hole and Leach 115. Both players were onto the green in two. Port was 40 feet away, and Leach 10 feet below the hole. After a tough speed judgment, Port's birdie attempt stopped 3 feet short. Leach was not as successful with her speed and her birdie putt came up short as well. The hole was halved with pars.
Port, 2 up
Hole 13: par 3, 194 yards
Port hit her tee shot just off the right side of the green, about 25 feet from the hole. Leach made the green, below the hole and just inside of Port. Amazingly, the sun has poked through the clouds following our 30-minute downpour. The players cleared some leaves and pine needles that fell onto the green during the storm. Port putted 7 feet short, and Leach was 4 feet short. Port missed her short putt, and Leach knocked a hole off her deficit by converting her par attempt.
Port, 2 up
Hole 12: par 4, 332 yards
The rain has picked up tremendously, and we are in the midst of a heavy shower. The 12th is playing in to the wind today. Both drove to the right, Leach finding the area to the right of the fairway bunkers 200 yards from the hole and Port finding a bunker 15 yards closer. Leach laid up to less than 80 yards from the hole, and Port advanced to the rough at about the same distance. Leach left her third shot 30 feet short, and Port hit to 10 feet. After Port's shot, play was suspended at 3:22 p.m. due to a dangerous weather situation. Play resumed at 4 p.m. Leach lagged her par putt to 3 feet and Port made hers to win the hole.
Port, 3 up
UPDATE: Play has resumed at 4 p.m. with the players on the 12th green.
Play has been suspended at 3:22 p.m. in the middle of the 12th hole due to dangerous weather conditions.
Hole 11: par 4, 332 yards
The rain and wind are really starting to pick up. Port's drive went into the left rough, about 105 yards from the hole. Leach was on the right side of the fairway, about 95 yards away. Port hit to 15 feet behind the hole. Leach came up just short of the green and chipped to 3 feet. Port converted her par, and Leach's was conceded.
Port, 2 up
Hole 10: par 4, 365 yards
Both were again down the middle of the fairway. Leach had 170 yards to the hole and Port had 155. Leach hit over the green into another bad lie, with the ball below her feet and sitting down in the rough. Port was short and in a bunker, but with a good uphill lie. A great shot by Leach took her to 5 feet, and Port blasted out of the bunker to a similar distance. Leach putted first, and her ball just missed to the right edge. Port converted par to win the hole.
Port, 2 up
Hole 9: par 4, 290 yards
Both players found the right side of the fairway, with a good angle to the left hole location. Port had 105 yards to the hole, and Leach had 85. Port's approach came to 25 feet and Leach was just short of the green, but on a similar line. She putted for 3 feet, and moved her marker at Port's request. Port hit to 1 foot, and her par was conceded. Leach replaced her marker, and made her putt to halve the hole. There are a few sprinkles in the area, but the large, dark clouds seems to be skirting Bayvile. Gallery members are heading to their cars for umbrellas, just in case.
Port, 1 up
Hole 8: par 4, 384 yards
Port was in the fairway off the tee, but Leach drove into the trees with no shot to the green. She punched out to the fairway, with 90 yards to the hole. Port was 165 to the hole and hit the middle of the green, 35 feet from the hole. Leach hit her third to 20 feet, while Port lagged hers to 5 feet. Leach sent her par putt 3 feet past. Port's 5-footer lipped out, and Leach converted her bogey putt to halve the hole.
Port, 1 up
Hole 7: par 4, 410 yards
Both players were down the middle of the fairway. Leach had 210 yards to the hole, while Port had 195. Leach hooked her approach and hit the cart path. Her ball ended up in some patchy rough over a mound, with only the top of the flagstick visible. Port just missed the green to the right, but had a good lie. Leach's pitch landed soft and ended up 15 feet from the hole. Port chipped to 6 feet. Leach grazed the left edge of the hole, and her bogey was conceded. Port made her birdie putt to win the hole and regain her lead.
Port, 1 up
Hole 6: par 5, 469 yards
Leach found the middle of the fairway off the tee. Port barely missed a bunker down the right side and got a favorable bounce. Leach laid up well, and Port had a good lie for her second shot. Port advanced, but was not able to escape the rough. Leach also found the rough, 50 yards from the hole. Port was in native grasses, just as far from the hole but with a difficult lie. It was deemed unplayable and she took a two-club-length drop for a one-stroke penalty. She pitched to 15 feet, followed by Leach to 30 feet. Leach's birdie putt was 5 feet short. Port, who was putting for par due to the penalty, sent her putt 5 feet past. Leach converted her par putt to win the hole and square the match.
All square
Hole 5: par 3, 113 yards
Leach had the honor off the tee for the first time in the match. The breeze is starting to really pick up, and is right in the players’ faces. Leach had 20 feet for par, Port 10. Leach left her birdie just short and her par was conceded. Port also missed and her par was conceded as well.
Port, 1 up
Hole 4: par 5, 516 yards
Port ended up in a greenside bunker and missed her exit to the right. Leach found the green, 30 feet away. Port's ball was in an awkward position below her feet, and she pitched 12 feet past the hole. Leach's uphill putt was 3 feet short. Port missed her par putt, and Leach won the hole with a par.
Port, 1 up
Hole 3: par 4, 370 yards
The tee was moved back on this hole, with a long carry to the fairway. Both found the fairway, with Port in the center with 150 yards to go and Leach to the left with 125. Both players were on the green in two. Leach converted a 12-foot birdie putt, and Port knocked in her own 8-foot attempt to halve the hole.
Port, 2 up
Hole 2: par 3, 172 yards
There is a nice gallery of about 40 spectators following the match, including quarterfinalist and past champion Virginia Grimes. Port hit her tee shot just over the green. Leach found the green, 30 feet from the hole, but sent her birdie putt past the hole. Port chipped onto the green and made her par attempt. Leach's miss gave Port another hole.
Port, 2 up
Hole 1: par 4, 371 yards
Port and Leach gave each other hugs before approaching the first tee. Port had the honors, and both players found the fairway off the tee. Leach was 185 yards shy of the green, Port at 175. Leach missed the green short right in the rough, with a difficult lie with the ball above her feet. Port's approach made the green, about 40 feet from the hole. Leach pitched to 20 feet, and Port lagged her birdie putt to 3 feet. Leach missed her par attempt and her bogey was conceded. Port then made her par putt to take a 1-up lead.
Port, 1 up
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Well, it's finally here. Ellen Port and Martha Leach are meeting in this afternoon's Women's Mid-Amateur Championship 18-hole final. After Saturday's terrible weather, it sure seemed like this day would never come.
We have an exciting meeting between two very deserving players. Port took this title in 1995, 1996 and 2000, while Leach won the championship in 2009.
Weather is a concern for the afternoon. It is in the low 80s outside, with a very sticky feel to the air. Our on-site meteorologist hopes that any storms will wait until later this afternoon and let us get in this championship match.
Hunki Yun is out walking with the match, and we'll keep you updated with everything that happens here at Bayville. Refresh this page for all the updates.