Avery Manning Is Top Seed at Michigan Girls Junior Am

MICHIGAN GIRLS’ JUNIOR AMATEUR: Dexter’s Avery Manning Is Top Seed

 BIG RAPIDS – Avery Manning (pictured above) said if she’s being honest, she doesn’t like match play.

  Although she’s happy to be the top seed starting match play Saturday in the 47th Michigan Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship presented Imperial Headwear  at Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Course.

  Manning, 17, shot a second-round 76 for 5-over 149 total in the stroke play portion of the championship Friday and earned medalist honors and her name on the Wright Memorial Medalist Trophy.

   She said being medalist and the top seed for match play was a pre-tournament goal, as well as winning the overall title.

  “I try to go out all the time to win, but I knew I really wanted this one a lot this year,” she said. “I feel good about the way I played. I’m ready for match play.”

   Manning will top a 16-golfer match play bracket Saturday morning. Quarterfinal matches follow in the afternoon, and the semifinal and final matches are Sunday.

  Manning finished two shots ahead of Logan Bentley of Addison, who shot 76 for 151, and Chaille Payne of Spring Lake, who shot 75 for 151.

  Defending champion Alena Li, who shot 77 for 152, and Copelin Okrangley of Alto, who shot 75 for 152, rounded out the top five.

  A 15-and-under Division medalist and top seed for an eight-golfer bracket was also determined Friday.

  Hannah Kim, the 12-year-old standout from Troy, shot 73 for a 1-over 145 total and topped the field by eight shots.

  Anika Srivastava of Okemos and Cameron Baker of Novi tied for second at 153. Srivastava shot a 74, and Baker a 78 in the second round.

  Sixtine Charnelet of Bloomfield Hills, who shot 75 for 154, and Emanuella Micakovic, who shot 83 for 155, rounded out the top five.

  Manning, a past GAM Junior Stroke Play age group winner, works with teacher Adam White and plays at Polo Fields Golf & Country Club. She said she has been playing well.

  “The first nine I played (back nine) today went really well and I felt pretty good,” she said. “It got a little dicey toward the end on the front nine, but I was able to clean it up.”

  She saved par from the trees right of the fairway on No. 9, but said her highlight of the round was on the par 5 third hold.

  “I had like a weird little chip shot where my feet were in the bunker, but my ball was still in the grass,” she said. “I chipped it to like an inch or two for a tap-in birdie, and that kind of got me going.”

  Kim, who ties the record for youngest medalist in tournament history, said she wasn’t thinking medalist in the 15-and-under coming into the tournament.

  “I was thinking I had a chance, but I played here once before and it wasn’t very good,” she said. “I really had no expectations coming in, but I surprised myself.”

  She said her experience in match play is limited, and she is not sure what to expect.

  “I will keep trying to make sure I make pars and when I get my chances for birdie, make the putts,” she said.

INFORMATION, SCORES: GAM.org