Haley Lawrence Wins State Women’s Stroke Play Title

21st Women's Stroke Play Championship | Nationwide Tour Leaderboard

Troy University senior Haley Lawrence accomplished something over the weekend that few women in the state of Alabama can lay claim to – she won the Alabama State Women's Stroke Play title.

Lawrence, a native of Prattville who will be a senior for the Trojans during the spring of 2012, led the tournament wire-to-wire in the event, which was played at Grayson Valley Country Club in Trussville, and finished with a one shot victory over Kathy Hartwiger of Birmingham.

“The day started off well, but I doubled six and then had bogeys on seven and eight,” Lawrence said. “I started thinking that things weren't going so good, but then I birdied number nine and then also birdied 10 and 12 and I just kept it rolling from there.”

Unlike professional tournaments where running scores are posted all over the course, Lawrence said she didn't know who had won until they posted the final results.

“I really didn't know I had won until they posted all of the scores,” Lawrence said. “I was in shock. I thought we were going to go to a playoff.”

What makes the win by Lawrence so rare is that Hartwiger is a three-time winner on the event and is a nine-time State Amateur champion. Lawrence said that playing with and against a player like Hartwiger is always fun.

“She is a very good golfer,” Lawrence said. “We played together in 2009 in match play and I beat her then. She is an all-around good player. Her mental game is very good.”

Lawrence, who posted scores of 74-73-74 to finish with a five-over par total of 221, held off Hartwiger on Sunday despite a bogey on the par three,147-yard 17th hole. Hartwiger also bogeyed 17, which was preceded by a bogey on 16 that gave Lawrence the lead. Both players posted pars on the final hole, giving Lawrence the victory.

For the event, Lawrence posted seven birdies, eight bogeys and a pair of double bogeys.

Lawrence, an athletic training major, will sit out the fall schedule for the Trojans this year to serve as a student trainer with the Troy football team.

Broadaway Ties for Fourth on Nationwide Tour

Former Troy University golfer Josh Broadaway finished in a tie for fourth place at the Nationwide Tour Children's Hospital Invitational at the OSU Golf Club Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday.

Broadaway's 65 on Sunday tied for the low round of the tournament and gave him the clubhouse lead at the end of his round. His 12-under par total score of 272 left him two shots behind eventual champion Harris English, an amateur who is a member of the University of Georgia team.

Broadaway earned $70,400 for his performance this weekend. He lost $25,000 in earnings on the final hole of the event when Kyle Reifers birdied his final hole to take sole possession of the $144,000 first place earnings.

In addition to English, two other collegians earned top 10 finishes in the event, which had all of the players sporting apparel from their collegiate teams on Friday and Saturday. NCAA champion John Peterson of LSU finished third while Oklahoma State's Peter Uihlein tied for ninth.

For Broadaway, it was his second top 10 finish of the year and the 12th of his professional career. The big payday pushed his season earnings to $96,593, good for 26th place on the Nationwide Tour. He also pushed past a half million in career earnings with his performance this weekend.

Broadaway has posted consecutive top five finishes. The Nationwide Tour will make an appearance in Sandy, Utah, this weekend for the Utah Championship. The tournament will be televised by The Golf Channel.

Troy University Athletics

Haley Lawrence Wins State Women’s Stroke Play Title

Related News

Related Videos