Tyree wins Louisiana Women’s Amateur Championship
Rodrick Anderson
After losing last year’s Louisiana Women’s Amateur Championship in a tight match, former Sulphur High standout Brooke Tyree set her sights on winning this year and did it in stunning fashion, cementing herself as one of the top amateur golfers in the state.
Tyree, who will be a senior at Texas A&M this fall, beat Sarah Meral (Abita Springs) 5 & 4 in the championship match at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe Wednesday. It was the largest margin of victory in the tournament since 1995.
“It is pretty cool (to win) after being so close last year,” Tyree said. “Finally winning it this year feel pretty good.”
Tyree was the LGA Girls’ Junior Amateur Champion in 2016 and 2017.
Tyree, the 3-seed after shooting a 74 in Sunday’s stroke play qualifier, won the first four holes to go 4-up, then won the 11th and 12th hole. She closed out the match with a par on the 14th hole.
“I felt pretty solid,” Tyree said. “I was pretty nervous on the first tee-box.
“The first two shots I hit were not great. After that, everything was pretty solid, and I knew where it was going to go. I felt like I could just swing freely. I felt like I got going pretty well. Both both of us made a lot of pars after that, which made it difficult to get a few on her. I would say it was pretty fun.”
Only one of her four matches went the full 18 holes, a 1-up victory over Kaitlyn Montoya of Shreveport on Tuesday in the semifinals.
“After being in college for a couple of years, my ball-striking has got a lot more consistent,” Tyree said. “My short game was not very good in highs school, but I have got a lot better at converting my birdie chances.”
Tyree led Sulphur to four consecutive Division I state championships from 2015 to 2018 and was the top medalist in 2018 after picking up golf as an eighth-grader.
Tyree will be in Houston today, trying to qualify for the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship, which will be held at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., Aug. 2-8. She will need to finish in the top-six.
Former Sulphur High standout and current Texas A&M golfer Brooke Tyree won the Louisiana Women’s Amateur Championship on Wednesday at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe.