Heartbreak and Happiness: Freshman Zanatta Falls in Playoff; Chippewas 3rd in Season-Opening A-Ga-Ming Inv.

Monday, September 2

Kewadin, Mich. (A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort)

9 a.m.

Central Michigan University

A-Ga-Ming Invitational

CMU freshman Ella Zanatta uses some body english as she watches her birdie putt track toward the cup on the second playoff hole Monday at the A-Ga-Ming Invitational in Kewadin, Mich. Zanatta made the 25-footer to extend the dramatic playoff.

Photo by: Andy Sneddon

Heartbreak and Happiness: Freshman Zanatta Falls in Playoff; Chippewas 3rd in Season-Opening A-Ga-Ming Inv.

9/2/2024 5:54:00 PM | Women's Golf

Team Standings Leaderboard Photo Gallery

By: Andy Sneddon

KEWADIN, Mich. – A tough finish, but a sensational debut for a Central Michigan freshman and an outstanding start to the women's golf season.

CMU's Ella Zanatta, a freshman playing in her first collegiate event, lost on the fifth hole of a playoff on Monday to finish second at the Chippewas' A-Ga-Ming Invitational at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort.

Zanatta, who closed the 54-hole event with a 1-under par 71, finished with a 222 total to tie Bradley junior Caroline McConnell.

McConnell then defeated Zanatta with a par on the fifth playoff hole on A-Ga-Ming's Sundance Course.

"Extremely proud of her," CMU coach Ryan Williams said. "She played so well. She was steady all three rounds. She's really talented, she's got a really solid game, she's solid tee to green, and she's got a really good head on her shoulders and I'm just really excited to have her with us for four years."

Zanatta led the Chippewas to a third-place finish in the 14-team field. Bradley shot 295 on Monday to finish with a 910 total and capture the team title. Bowling Green, which closed with a 306, was second at 916.

The Chippewas, who shot 301 on Monday, were one shot behind the Falcons at 917 and eight ahead of fourth-place Western Michigan (924).

CMU's Hailey Katona shot a 3-over 75 on Monday to finish tied for fifth with a 227 total. The field comprised 84 players.

Also for the Chippewas on Monday, Rachel Niskanen shot 80, Lauren Davis posted a 3-over 75 – her low round of the tournament – and Lexi Schulman shot 81.

Niskanen finished tied for 19^th (233) and Davis tied for 24^th (235). CMU's Brooke Morris shot 79, her low round of the tournament, on Monday and Alexis McMurray shot 81. Morris and McMurray were playing as individuals.

It was the first collegiate tournament for Davis and Morris, both of whom are freshmen. Schulman and Niskanen are sophomores.

The Chippewas opened the tournament on Sunday with a 305 team score and then posted a 311 in Sunday's second round. Their 301 tied with Oakland for the second-lowest team score in Monday's final round.

"It's exciting to have a group that works really hard and has some talent and some grit," Williams said. "They're competitive and they know what they need to do out there and I think we're looking good going forward.

"Early in the round (Monday) we got ourselves in the position we wanted to be. They came out firing and we knew we were within striking distance of that first-place team, which is awesome to see. It shows that we have that fire power to go out there and do it.

"Now I think with some more experience, some lessons learned from this and throughout the season, it all bodes really well for what we're capable of. It was a really good start."

Zanatta, who hails from Hamilton, Ontario, opened on Sunday morning with a 1-over 73 and then shot a 6-over 78 on Sunday afternoon.

She started Monday's round two shots off the pace and made five birdies for a 4-under front-nine 32 that propelled her into a tie for first.

"She's extremely mature, she's experienced, she had a really great summer playing in big events this past summer," Williams said. "She played in the final group at the Ontario Women's Am, she finished in the top 20 in the Canadian Girls Am, she made the cut at the Canadian Women's Am.

"She's been around good players, she's learned a lot, she's extremely smart and she is able to figure things out pretty quickly. That's why you see her competing right away out here. It's not a surprise to me that she was where she was today. She can make birdies and go low, and I think you're going to see more of that over the next four years."

Zanatta and McConnell both birdied the first two playoff holes. Zanatta made an 18-foot putt from the fringe on No. 1, and then drained a 25-footer on No. 2.

Undaunted, McConnell buried her birdie putts on top of Zanatta as the drama mounted.

Both birdied the par-3 third hole and then both bogeyed the par-4 fourth. On the fifth and final playoff hole, Zanatta missed a relatively short par putt and McConnell made hers to win.

"We're going to make sure that she takes a ton of confidence away from this experience," Williams said of Zanatta. "She earned it; she should be extremely proud of herself, and she should gain confidence from it.

"She made a couple of really big putts in the playoff. It was a really impressive performance. Yeah, I think it stings a little bit, but when she puts it into perspective, she's going to have a ton of positives to take away."

It marked the fourth consecutive year that CMU has hosted its season-opening event at A-Ga-Ming, which is set between Torch Lake and Lake Michigan. This year's 14-team field was the largest in the history of the tournament.

"A-Ga-Ming is an incredible venue for us," Williams said. "The golf course is awesome, it's really a great course for college golf. The staff here puts a ton of work into this event, and we truly appreciate it. It's just a great weekend, a great place to start the season off. I can see this event growing and growing over the next few years."