Make it five for Johnson and Buck

MARLBOROUGH, Massachusetts (July 1, 2024) – The dynamic duo of Megan Buck And Shannon Johnson (Thorny Lea Golf Club) have done it again. A fifth four-ball championship title was secured after two rain delays swept through Marlborough Country Club. It’s eighth for Megan Buck, and fifth in a row with best friend Shannon Johnson riding along.

ONLINE: FINAL RESULTS | PHOTO GALLERY | PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS | WOMEN’S FOURBALL HOMEPAGE

They did not go down without a fight. Early in the day Kristen Henderson And Kim Zenisky carried the top of the rankings. On their heels was the 2023 runner-up pair Mercy Farland And Victoria Veator. A birdie on the 16th hole gave Johnson and Buck the solo lead again.

Play was halted at 2:35 due to hazardous weather in the area. Rain poured down and carts rolled in for a gathering on the back patio, making the occasion cheerful in its inopportune timing. At 4:25, gray skies returned and rain began again. A second rain delay brought players back to the clubhouse, eager to finish their rounds. Although the rain made for a long day of golf, the sky cleared in time to end with bright sunshine.

“It was definitely a little bit of a struggle to get started. We’ve been playing a lot of golf lately, we had the New England (Women’s) Amateur in Samoset. And we came back and played in the Brockton Four-Ball. And so this is our seventh day in a row. So it was a little bit tough to get going, but we got into a good groove. We made a good birdie on 10 and made another good birdie on 11 right after the rain delay, so that got us into a groove a little bit. Then we hit a little bit of a speed bump with the second rain delay, but yeah, we got used to warming up and still, overall, it was a good day,” Johnson said.

Although the greens had softened due to the rain that fell during the day, the duo continued to help each other out on the course when needed.

“I mean, I think we’re both good at that. I think anyone can go out there and get down, so that’s what happens. You’re out there with your best friend. So if you see that you’re a little down, I’ll stay extra positive and try to pick you up, but I feel like we did a good job today. Almost every time one of us was down, we’d pick them up and hit a good shot and you’d hit a good shot and everything would get better and you wouldn’t be so down. So I think we did a good job because when we hit a low point, we could hit a good shot and kind of bounce back and move on from there,” Buck said.

Their speed bump bogey on fourteen had put Johnson at fifteen. A botched birdie putt was the gas she needed for a piped drive into the middle of sixteen and a strategy to recover from blind shots late in the round.

“I walked over there and saw that it looked like the green was coming in a little bit. So if I hit it pretty straight I thought I had a good number and it was obviously a lot closer than I thought. It was a good number at that point and Megan had too strong holes on 17 and 18 to get us in,” Johnson said.

Johnson made a nice birdie on sixteen and Buck made pars on seventeen and eighteen holes to secure their fifth consecutive four-ball championship title.

NET SUMMARY

When they returned a little over an hour after the stoppage, Kristen Henderson and Kim Zenisky held the solo lead at 3-under with just two holes to play. After parring the 17th, the duo took on the 18th, a demanding uphill par-3 of about 158 ​​yards. Henderson teed off into the left greenside bunker, and Zenisky just short on the left. As it goes when you need it most, the sand got the best of Henderson, giving up two shots to the bunker. With Henderson up in three, Zenisky hit a beautiful flop that rolled past the pin. With about 20 feet slightly downhill, Zenisky’s putt fell just a foot short of the hole. They ended their round with a bogey and were at 2-under, tied with last year’s champions Shannon Johnson and Megan Buck with seven holes to play.

While the championship ended with Johnson and Buck’s final hole, Henderson and Zenisky still take home the net title. They finished with a net 9-under.

“We’re not going home empty-handed. If you can’t win gross, at least we can win net,” Henderson said.

“Kris and I, I mean, we play together a lot and we play well together. We complement each other’s games and you know, we have a lot of fun,” Zenisky said.

“You know. It was a great day. Compliments to a Mass Golf to the course manager, to a great playing partner.”

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