Fobes Wins Carolinas Women’s Match Play Before Heading to Q-School

 

Event: 26th Carolinas Women’s Match Play Championship

Host Site: Mill Creek Golf Club, Mebane, N.C.

Playing Dates: July 31-August 3, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

LOCATION – Mebane, N.C.

 

Mallory Fobes of East Bend, N.C. secured the 26th Carolinas Women’s Match Play Championship at Mill Creek Golf Club in Mebane, N.C. Fobes played six matches over the past four days, and it was Fobes and Grace Holcomb of Wilmington, N.C. in the Championship Match on Saturday morning. Fobes won 4 & 3 to be crowned the women’s amateur match play champion of the Carolinas for a second time. 

 

The competition kicked off with Group Play on Wednesday and Thursday. Rounds 1 and 2 were played on Wednesday, and Fobes won both of her matches to earn two full points. In Round 3 on Thursday, Fobes won her match again to earn all three possible points in Group Play. She came out on top in her group to advance to Bracket Play beginning on Friday.

 

In the Quarterfinals on Friday morning, all four matches went to 18 holes, making for an exciting and competitive round of matches. Fobes played against Kasey McIlvaine of Raleigh, N.C. to kick off the day. Fobes was 1 up at the turn, and sealed a 1 up win with a par on the 18th hole.

 

Moving on to the Semifinals Friday afternoon, Fobes was up against Gracie Song of Waxhaw, N.C. Fobes won the first two holes, and Song won the next two holes, starting off with the lead shifting back and forth. Through nine holes, the match was tied. With a few more wins for Fobes to kick off the back nine, she was 2 up through 15, and remained 2 up through 17 to win the match 2 & 1 and secure her spot in the Championship Match. 

 

Regarding how she stays physically and mentally strong with so many matches this week, Fobes explained, “When I play match play, it doesn’t really feel like regular golf to me. It feels a lot quicker and faster, so it doesn’t really set in that I played that many holes of golf. Staying level and staying in the moment, and just playing the shot that I have helped me.”

 

Holcomb also battled to make it to the Championship Match on Saturday. After Round 3 of Group Play, Holcomb played against her UNCG teammate Ava Romfo of Charleston, S.C. to determine which one of them would win their group to advance to Bracket Play. Holcomb won the playoff on the third hole with a par, and was ready to compete in the Quarterfinals. 

 

In the Quarterfinals, Holcomb beat Layla Meric of Wesley Chapel, N.C., 2 up. Meric made it to the Championship Match in 2023 and finished runner-up.

 

“I’m feeling really good going into the Semifinals. I’ve never been this far. I’m feeling really good about the course and my swing right now. All of my matches have been super tight so I think I have a lot of good things to look back on and I feel like I’m doing well under pressure too so I’m excited,” Holcomb shared. 

 

She had one more match to make it to the Championship Match. Holcomb went up against Maria Atwood of Holly Springs, N.C. in the Semifinals on Friday afternoon. Holcomb won the first two holes to give herself a good lead right at the start, and she remained 2 up through the turn. After winning hole 10, she gained a 3 up lead. Going all the way through the 18th hole, Holcomb won the match 1 up to head to the Championship Match against Fobes. 

 

When asked how she felt heading into the Championship Match, Fobes shared, “I’m just really excited. We’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re both really good players and I think it’ll be a good match.”

 

In the Championship Match, Fobes went 2 up in the first three holes. Holcomb won the 6th, and Fobes won the 8th and 9th to make the turn 3 up. 

 

Regarding her momentum in the Championship Match, Fobes said, “It was good, I just didn’t want to screw it up. 10 was kind of rough putting it into the hazard, but in match play, it’s just one hole.”

 

Holcomb won the 10th hole, but Fobes followed it with a birdie on hole 11 to go back to 3 up. Holding her lead at 3 up for the next three holes, Fobes and Holcomb headed to the 15th hole with Fobes 3 up. With a par to win the 15th hole, Fobes claimed the title.

 

Regarding what went well for her this week, Fobes said, “I really hit my driver well. I was able to keep it in the fairway a lot. Getting over in this rough can be your downfall because it’s really thick.”

 

Fobes won the Carolinas Women’s Match Play Championship back in 2021, and this win makes her a 5-time CGA Champion. Fobes heads to Q-School in just a couple weeks.

 

“It’s awesome, especially being that this could be my last CGA event. It’s really really exciting and it’s great momentum going into Q-School.”

 

Fobes and Holcomb, good friends and competitors, have played in lots of tournaments together, including the Virginias-Carolinas Women’s Team Matches just a few weeks ago. 

 

“It was a lot of fun. It’s great playing with friends. We were able to be competitive but still have fun with each other. We’re really good friends so it was just a really fun match,” Fobes shared about playing with Holcomb in the Championship Match. 

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank Golf Course Superintendent Jason Bauder, General Manager Tyler Lail, and the rest of the staff at Mill Creek Golf Club for a fantastic week. 

 

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1909 to promote and protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support, and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is one of the largest golf associations in the country, with over 700 member clubs represented by over 200,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed over $3,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives, including junior, women and adaptive programs.

For more information about the Carolinas Golf Association, follow @cgagolf1909 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, or visit our website www.carolinasgolf.org/

 

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