Lichtman battles nerves for one-shot victory

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This article was published 06/07/2010 (5878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FIRST victories at anything meaningful are rarely easy.

Mindy Lichtman’s march to a first-ever Manitoba Women’s Amateur crown should have been, considering she had forged an eight-shot lead just three holes into Monday’s final round of the 54-hole championship at St. Bonfiace Golf Club.

But nerves are nerves, and Lichtman battled them and rival Angela Martens of Elmhurst — who had the experience of being the winner before — to the final shot of the day.

"That’s the tough thing about golf," said the St. Bonfiace member after she held on for a one-shot victory. "I used to swim and it was nerves before the race but you’re in the water and they’re gone. Golf, every time you’re over a tough shot, the nerves come back.

"I had major nerves today so now I’m just happy."

Lichtman had a five-shot advantage on Martens to begin the day and looked to be coasting early on. The margin was still six at the turn but as Marten’s confidence grew and she posted a one-under 37 on the back nine, the pressure was clearly increasing.

Lichtman bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12. She needed a 30-footer to save par on the 16th.

And then she drove it left and into the water off the tee of the par-5 17th. Only a long bogey putt there helped her stay two ahead, a cushion she would need at the par-3 18th.

With Martens safely on the green at the last, Lichtman’s seven-wood sailed right and next to a fenced off area next to the putting green.

"That wasn’t the best place to leave yourself," she agreed, but after a chip across the green and just off the other side, she managed to get it up and in for a bogey to claim the title.

"Well, I have been there before," said Lichtman, who’s been a member at St. Boniface since she was a kid. "It’s usually where I end up with that seven-wood. I think it was a good bogey from there.

"I just wanted to get it on the green and have an uphill putt. I just knew that if I could make a bogey, (Angela) would have to make her long putt for a birdie."

Martens did well to get her hard-bending 35-footer down in two for a final par and a round of two-over 76.

Lichtman shot 80 for a three-day total of 232.

Finishing third was Bri-Ann Tokariwski of Elmhurst, four shots back of the leader, and the final member of Manitoba’s provincial team for the Canadian championships later this month in Ontario is Sarah Stebeleski of the Public Players’ Club, who finished 10 off the lead.

Lichtman has won a Manitoba women’s match-play before, but not the amateur season’s big prize.

"Match play and stroke play, they’re so different," Lichtman said. "You can shoot 90 in match play and still win."

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Two years ago in the amateur, she finished 20 strokes behind four-time winner Jill Hardy, who had won the last two but had to withdraw at the last minute this year.

"I’m not the most egotistical person out there but people were telling me I could go in this to win it," she said. "I just kept saying, ‘I just want to make the team; I’ll be happy to do that.’

"Then I had a five-stroke lead coming into today and I just wanted to hold it together. Worst-case scenario, I’d make that team. You always want to win. I’m just happy I held it together."

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca