Kenadie Daeger plays a tee shot during Sunday’s Lima City Women’s City Golf Tournament Championship Flight at Shawnee Country Club.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
Kenadie Daeger used the word fun repeatedly when she talked about her 1-up win over Sandy Doan in the championship match of the Championship Flight of the Lima Area Women’s Match Play Tournament on Sunday at the Shawnee Country Club.
And why wouldn’t she? The University of Northwestern Ohio sophomore has entered the tournament twice and won it twice after adding Sunday’s win to her victory over another UNOH golfer, Davaki Ganesh, last year.
UNOH golfers playing in this tournament has become somewhat of a tradition in recent years. But Daeger has taken that tradition to a new level.
Daeger built a 3-hole lead after 10 holes by winning No. 7 with a birdie, No. 9 with a bogey and No. 10 with a bogey. Meanwhile, Doan double bogeyed No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10.
The match appeared to be trending Daeger’s way at that point. But Doan responded by winning No. 11, No. 12 and No. 13 to tie the match.
Daeger won No. 14 with a par for a 1-up lead and held on the rest of the way.
“I got a little nervous after those three holes. So I just took some deep breaths and just tried to refocus and act like it was the first hole again and get mentally right and then just go out and play my game,” she said.
Doan made her fourteenth appearance in the title match of the Championship Flight in this tournament. She has won six times and has eight runner-up trophies.
She said, “It was a little different today. I couldn’t feel the greens, I had trouble reading them. I was tired.
“She had opportunities. I had opportunities. Sometimes you don’t play your best on the championship day. But I went 18 holes with her. I just didn’t play my best.”
Daeger said her game has gotten better since last year at this time when she had just graduated from Wayne Trace High School.
“I have been practicing a lot, trying to fine tune things, like chipping and make sure my swing path is correct. In all aspects my game has improved,” she said.
Championships were decided in six other flight on Sunday.
In the First Flight, Brenda Parlette repeated as champion with a 1-up win over Debora Hemmert. The Second Flight winner was Shelly Diepenbrock, who defeated Jennifer Mefferd 1-up.
Nancy Clum won the Third Flight 5-and-3 over Tonya Shellbarger and Carrie Miller was a 5-and-4 winner over Dawn Warner in the Fourth Flight.
Sharon Reaman won the Fifth Flight 6-and-4 over Kelli Marsh. Joan Whittaker won the Senior Flight 2-up over Dawn Crow. Whittaker won the Senior 2 Flight last year
