Local Sports Journal

SPRING LAKE — The two college golfers in the field moved one step closer to a showdown on Tuesday in the 93rd running of the Spring Lake Women’s Invitational Golf Tournament.

Britni Gielow advanced as the match play tournament’s defending champion. Gielow, now a student at Hope College and a graduate of Mona Shores, turned back Michele Yasenak. Gielow won 4 and 2 over Yasenake who is member of host Spring Lake Country Club. That match ended on the 16th hole in the tournament’s opening match for the Championship Flight.

The victory advanced Gielow into a semifinal round Wednesday at 8:39 a.m. against Susan Campbell, of Milham Park Golf Course in Kalamazoo. Campbell qualified for the semifinals by turning back Donna Benford, of Linden, 2 and 1, with the match ending on the 17th hole.

In the other bracket, Michigan State University women’s team member Jenny Sritragul rolled to a 14-hole and 6 and 4 victory over Chris Zeigler, of the Moors Golf Course.

The outcome moved Sritragul into an 8:45 a.m. Wednesday starting time match against Maureen Whitehead, of Petoskey. Whitehead, the 2010 champion in the Spring Lake tournament, turned back Karel Bailey, of White Lake Golf Club, 4 and 3 in the other quarterfinal round match. The Whitehead-Bailey match ended on the 15th hole.

Wednesday’s two winners will advance to the tournament’s championship match which is scheduled for Thursday at 9:51 a.m.

The consolation flight matches for the Championship Flight Wednesday have Yasenak playing Benford at 8:51 a.m., and Zeigler taking on Bailey at 8:57 a.m.

The winners will advance to Thursday’s Consolation Round championship match which is slated for 8:12 a.m. Thursday.

The tournament started as the Spring Lake Women’s Open in 1919 before being renamed. It is one of the state’s oldest women’s golf tournaments.