Meghan Bolger U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Champion

WEST POINT, Miss. Ole Miss women’s golf coach Meghan Bolger will have a nice piece of hardware to show the team when she meets up with them in Auburn, Ala., for this weekend’s Derby Invitational.  Bolger defeated Thuhashini Selvaratnam 5 and 4 in cold and rainy conditions to capture the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship Thursday morning at Old Waverly Golf Club.

Bolger played eight matches in six days after advancing through stroke play.  None of the matches ever reached the 17^th hole.    She rarely trailed all week, losing the first hole three times, but always bouncing back to win the second hole.

In less than ideal conditions in the final, Bolger finished the equivalent of 1-over par for the 14 holes.   She hit 11 of 14 greens.  Afterwards, she discussed the conditions and what it means to win the championship.

“The weather was a lot better than I thought it was going to be, and I’ve played in a whole lot worse,” Bolger said.  “Condition-wise, my goal was to have as many pars as possible and not be stuck in the rough.  I just tried to be in the fairway and hit as many greens as possible.

“I think it’s going to hit me a little later that I am the national champion.  It’s still very exciting right now.  It’s new.  Seeing my name in the exemption for the (Women’s) Amateur is exciting.  It’s even more exciting, because I love match play.”

Selvaratnam, a semifinalist in 2004 and a quarterfinalist in 2005, struggled with her ball-striking, hitting just four of 14 greens.

The two were all-square after three holes, but consecutive bogeys by Selvaratnam on four and five coupled with a birdie by Bolger at six, gave the Lady Rebel coach a 3-up lead.   After both made pars on seven, Bolger birdied the 372-yard par 4 eighth to increase her lead to 4 up.  Bolger made par on the next five holes, while Selvaratnam failed to mount any charge.  The former Arizona State player birdied the par 5 ninth, but made bogey on three of the final five holes.

Bolger, who grew up in New Jersey and won seven consecutive Philadelphia Amateur Championships from 1999-2005, talked about winning in her new home state and the possibility of playing more amateur events in the future.

“I can't even describe it.  It feels so good to represent the state.  It’s just very exciting. I am going to try and play some in January if I can. I have to check my schedule here, but I will play as much as I can. I played the Southern last year.  That was fun to be able to play.  I played the North and South.”

For now though, Bolger heads down to Auburn, Ala., to coach the Lady Rebels in the Derby Invitational, which gets underway Friday at the Auburn University Course.  This is the final tournament of the fall for Ole Miss.

U.S. WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP WEST POINT, Miss.

Final Meghan Bolger (Oxford) def. Thuhashini Selvaratnam (

Sri Lanka

) 5 and 4.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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