The Final Day of Sybase! -- Deanna Smith

As the tournament came to a close on it's last day, Sunday 5/22, I was lucky enough to be the standard bearer for the Championship match. The day started off with two matches; one between Christie Kerr and Angela Stanford and the other between Suzann Petterson and Na Yeon Choi (or as the commentators called her, NYC!) Kerr and Stanford had a close match. I thought Stanford was going to win but Kerr came back and was able to win #18. And for Petterson and Choi, Petterson won on hole #16. So from there I knew that for the Championship match I was working with Petterson and Kerr.

It was a fun, exciting and suspenseful match. Petterson stayed UP most of the match. Kerr evened it out at hole 8. One of the highlights (or I guess lowlights) is when Kerr missed her putt on 11. She had a chance to make it All Square but then missed her 2 or 3 foot putt. She had numerous chances to even out the score or go 1 UP throughout the back nine and each one she missed just on the rim of the hole. On hole 17 Kerr made a long putt to have the match continue onto hole 18. Petterson and Kerr both hit their drives on 18 about the same distance, Kerr a little further. They hit their shots over the first brook a goood distance. Petterson hit her approach shot onto the green, a good length from the hole. Kerr hit hers next and landed it closer. They got the green, Petterson lined up her long putt and hit it in the hole...FOR THE WIN!!!

It was such an exciting finish! Anna Nordqvist came running out onto the green with a bottle of champagne and squirted it on Petterson! Onc. e they finished their interviews and hugs, I asked both players for signed golfballs. At the end of the weekend, I ended up with four signed golfballs, Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford, Christie Kerr and Suzann Petterson. It was very exciting!

The whole weekend was so much fun and such a good experience. I did get a good amount of TV time on yesterday's coverage! That was so cool! I will definitely be back next year, holding that sign, in the ropes, with the pros! I hope to be back with the blogs as well! It was a pleasure being able to provide some insight to the job of a standard bearer volunteer at a professional golf event. I hope you enjoyed it as well! See you next year! :)                                 

~Deanna Smith