Third day of Sybase -- Deanna Smith

I'm back! I was supposed to do this blog last night but we went out to dinner after yesterday and didn't get home till pretty late and I was exhausted. Yesterday was a long day! It included the third round in the morning and then the Quarterfinals in the afternoon. I got there around 8:30 AM with my dad because he had a morning match with Michelle Wie and Sophie Gustafson. I followed his group for the 18 holes in the morning, but a couple times I would peel away to go see my favorite golfer, Paula Creamer. Wie and Gustafson had a tough day. They were pretty much neck and neck the whole round from what I can remember, but Gustafson ended with the win. From the third round groups, Miyazato, Gustafson, Creamer, Kerr, Stanford, Choi, Tseng, and Petterson made it to the Quarterfinals.

There was a chance that I would have Paula, but I wasn't getting my hopes up. I knew i was the second Quarterfinal group and if the order of the times went the same way they had before, I would be with Paula. And it turned out....I WAS!!!!! I had Paula Creamer and Angela Stanford for my Quarterfinal group and I was so excited!!! Paula was 1 UP during 8 of the front 9. But her and Stanford were pretty even throughout the whole 18. We had a pretty large crowd following our group which was fun and I think I had some TV time also! 

Creamer and Stanford were very friendly to the group of volunteers they were with. It was a lot of fun volunteering for them. When you are in the ropes with the players, you feel famous too. My biggest fan was there watching me the whole 18, MY DAD! I watched him in the morning and he watched me in the afternoon. Some of the highlights of the round...Paula made a long putt from the front to the center back of the green on #9, Stanford saved par on #11 when her approach shot trickled off the front of the green and back down the hill, and Stanford made 3 birdies within the last 5 holes. It was a suspenseful and exciting match, but in the end,Stanford won by going 1 UP on hole #17.

Since Paula is my favorite LPGA pro, I was very bummed that she lost. I even wore a pink ribbon in my ponytail to show support. I guess it didn'e help though. L However, after their round, I was able to get a picture with Paula!

All in all, yesterday was a great day and so much fun, just very long. Later this afternoon,  will be Standard Bearing for the FINAL Championship match, and I am very excited for this match as well. I will hopefully have time to blog about i tonight, but I can't promise anything. I will probably be on TV though, 4:30 - 7:00 PM!!! Check me out!!

~Deanna Smith