Danielle Downey Captures Title at 2010 Tennessee Women’s Open Championship

Posted on July 29th, 2010 by Bob Weaver

WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMP-Danielle Downey (center) shot a two-under 214 to win the Tennessee Women's Open on July 24, topping second-place Margaret Shirley (left), who was also the low amateur. Downey is from Clearwater, Florida, while Shirley, the assistant women's golf coach at the University of Georgia, is from Athens, Georgia. Downey won the tournament, played at Stonehenge Golf Club at Fairfield Glade near Crossville (TN), in a one-hole playoff. Making the trophy presentations was City of Crossville mayor J.H. Graham III. (Photo courtesy Walt Riches)

Tennessee Women's Open champion Danielle Downey blasts from a sand trap during the final round of the tournament. Downey, from Clearwater (FL), took the title in a one-hole playoff. (Photo courtesy Walt Riches)

FAIRFIELD GLADE-As Danielle Downey walked off the 18th green at Stonehenge Golf Club on Saturday, she thought she’d lost the Tennessee Women’s Open by a shot to amateur Margaret Shirley.

Then she heard something that stunned her. “I heard somebody say, ‘The playoff will begin at No. 1’ ” Downey said. “I thought, ‘What?’ Somebody must have added the scores wrong.”

In the scorer’s tent, Downey, who shot a final-round 74 for a 2-under-par 214 total, learned that no mathematical errors had occurred. And as strange as it seemed, Downey, the second-round leader who trailed by six shots after shooting a front-nine 40, was in a playoff for the championship. Shirley, who was 4-under for the round and 6-under for the tournament after the 10th hole, closed with a 72 for her 214.

Once Downey, who plays on the LPGA Tour, got over her initial shock, she went to work. At No. 1, the first playoff hole, she hit a pitching wedge to two feet. Downey didn’t even need a birdie after Shirley three-putted for bogey, but she drained it anyway.

“Unbelievable,” Downey said. “After the front nine, I just told myself to hang in there for myself, to try and bounce back no matter who won the tournament.”

Shirley, who won the Georgia Open two times as an amateur, seemed determined to add the Tennessee Open to her resume. Starting the day two shots behind Downey at 2-under par, Shirley quickly pulled even at the par-4 No. 1 hole when she made birdie to Downey’s bogey. Shirley grabbed the lead and went to 4-under with another birdie at the par-3 third hole, and got to 5 under with a third birdie, this time at the par-3 sixth.

Meanwhile, Downey was going south. After a bogey at No. 4, a double bogey at 6 and a bogey at 7, she stood 1-over, six shots behind Shirley, who finished the front in 33 to Downey’s 40.

Shirley kept charging with a birdie at the par-5 10th to get to 6-under, but two holes later, some oil began leaking when she made a bogey at the par-4 12th. That didn’t seem to matter at the time, nor was Shirley too concerned after Downey birdied the tough par-3 14th and went to 1-under par. Shirley was still 5-under at that point.

Shirley drove into the water at the par-5 15th and made bogey, but still seemed in control with a three shot lead with three holes to play.

Downey birdied No. 16 to trim the deficit to two shots, and that’s when the heat turned up on Shirley. Trying to hit a punch shot at No. 17, Shirley left her approach 20 yards short of the green and made her third bogey of the back nine.

Downey probably won the tournament at 17 after her approach landed in the bunker. It was a shot she’d seen in a practice round earlier in the week.

“I knew I couldn’t go right at the hole,” Downey said. So she blasted left and her ball settled 18 feet below the hole. Trusting her newly improved putting stroke, Downey slammed the par put in the cup. But she still trailed Shirley, who was 3-under, by a shot.

At 18, Shirley’s approach found the bunker. She blasted to five feet, but when her putt slid past the hole and Downey made par, it was on to the playoff. Even if Downey wasn’t aware of it.

“I’m proud of the way I hung in there,” Downey said. “After the start I had, to come back and win … this will help my confidence down the road.”

Shirley, the assistant women’s golf coach at Georgia, was tough on herself after losing, but she needn’t have been. Despite not playing much golf since joining the Georgia staff a year ago, she’s had a great month of July, finishing second in the Georgia and Tennessee Opens and qualifying for the U.S. Amateur.

“I pretty much chocked my guts out the last four holes,” Shirley said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. But give credit to Danielle. She played great to come back and win it.”

Ashli Bunch finished third overall and second among professionals. First-round leader Mallory Blackwelder wound up in seventh place overall and fifth among professionals.