By Colleen Kane
Enquirer staff writer

Fifteen-year-old Kelsey Lindenschmidt became the youngest golfer to win the Women's Ohio Amateur Championship in its 81-year history Friday afternoon at Terrace Park Country Club.

Kelsey Lindenschmidt, 15, tees off in the final round of the Ohio Women's Amateur Championship. (Sarah Conard photo)

The Ursuline sophomore-to-be marched through Friday's 36-hole final to defeat former Purdue golfer Heather Zielinski of Sylvania 5 and 3 in 33 holes.

"I'm so excited I can't even explain it," Lindenschmidt said. "This is the biggest tournament I've ever won, so it's really neat."

It's been a busy two weeks for Lindenschmidt, who won the Ohio Junior Girls championship last week and was medalist in this week's qualifier with a 1-under 71. She is only the second golfer to win the junior and the women's amateur in the same year, tournament officials said.

Not bad for someone who said she just plays wherever her mother signs her up and was most excited for this tournament because she got a cart and a caddy.

"I only entered for fun, really, to get a break from all the others," Lindenschmidt said. "I never even thought about (winning), really, except on the last 18 when I was dormie."

And she played almost completely unfazed, never falling behind after leading 1-up heading into the final 18 holes.

She said she was nervous only at the beginning of the match and on the last few holes, where she nearly blew a large lead Thursday.

"She's so mature and so composed, and her course management skills are just incredible," said Marianne Utz-Sahms, Lindenschmidt's coach at Ursuline and caddy for the week. "She's a good ball striker, but to be able to hold it up on her own with so many people watching, it's pretty impressive."

Lindenschmidt went 3-up heading into the final nine holes after Zielinski bogeyed holes 20 and 26. After Lindenschmidt made two long putts for birdie, including a 35-footer on hole 30, she went 5-up with five holes to go.

"Just staying focused," Lindenschmidt said. "My putting was basically what helped me. Yesterday, my putting wasn't pretty at all."

Then, at the point where she faltered Thursday, Lindenschmidt hit her tee shot on hole 32 into some trees. She looked at Utz-Sahms smiling and said: "Bring it on. I can do it."

She ended up bogeying the hole but won the next hole for the championship when Zielinski hit her approach shot over the green and behind a hill and then missed the next putt. Lindenschmidt played the final 15 holes in 2-under par.

"Judging from my own experiences, golf was a lot less complicated when you're 15 years old," Zielinski said. "Not to take anything away from her, because she played great, but when you get older you think about things a lot more, and I think that was my problem. Where at a younger age, you just go out and do it and whatever happens, happens. ... But she was very mature and very poised for a 15-year-old."

Zielinski, who finished her collegiate eligibility in 2003, was playing in her fourth Ohio Am. It was Lindenschmidt's first. The former youngest champion was Jamie Rishel of Columbus, who won in 1997 at age 17.

After Friday's match, Lindenschmidt received the winner's trophy but could not accept the tournament champion's prize, a gold necklace, per OHSAA rules to maintain her eligibility. The necklace will stay with the Women's Ohio State Golf Association until she leaves high school in three years.

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E-mail ckane@enquirer.com

Ohio Amateur

COLUMBUS (AP) - Scores Friday from the final round of the 98th Ohio Amateur golf championship at the 6,968-yard, par-72 Columbus Country Club:

Kyle Reifers, Columbus	68-72-74-67-281
Jeff Scohy, Dayton	71-73-69-71-284
Michael Kelley, Westerville	71-73-69-71-284
Chris Miller, New Phila.	74-72-71-68-285
Alex Antonio, Bentleyville	73-69-73-71-286
Robert Gerwin II, Cin.	66-77-72-71-286
Jon Eggleton, Batavia	68-74-74-73-289
Steve Lohmeyer, Dayton	72-74-69-74-289
Brad Baker, Warsaw	71-73-70-76-290
C J Gatto, Columbus	72-74-71-73-290
Kevin Boyle, Mentor,	68-77-74-71-290
Tyler Riley, Findlay	70-73-70-77-290
Andy Miller, Xenia	70-78-73-70-291
Brad Dearsman, Clyde	72-75-73-71-291
John Bishop, Dublin	72-70-76-73-291
Ken Weixel, New Albany	73-71-73-74-291
Pete Samborsky, Dayton	74-73-71-73-291
Scott Ross, Mason	72-77-70-72-291
Alex Martin, Middletown	72-73-73-74-292
Jason Gerken, Logan	70-76-73-73-292
David Allan, Terrace Park	77-69-73-74-293
David French, Columbus	71-75-73-74-293
David Lennox, Gahanna	76-73-70-74-293
Joe Hurtuk, Bedford	72-75-74-72-293
Thomas Yeager, Findlay	71-71-76-75-293
Blake Sattler, New Phila.	72-70-76-76-294
Ken Kinkopf, Hilliard	75-71-74-75-295
TJ Brudzinski, Columbus	75-71-74-75-295
Todd Wilson, Grove City	74-74-73-74-295
Zach Doran, Dublin	75-70-75-75-295
Matt Beckett, Columbus	77-71-74-74-296
Randy Reifers, Columbus	73-72-74-77-296
Jim Krivanek, Mayfield Village	77-72-73-75-297
Joel Kraner, Dublin	76-74-73-74-297
Rob Davidge, Oxford	74-73-75-75-297
Matt Cooperrider, Thornville	72-71-77-78-298
Matt Hiatt, Sylvania	77-71-75-75-298
Daniel McIntyre, Perrysburg	74-75-73-78-300
Michael Beausejour, Cin.	74-70-80-76-300
Ryan Siekmann, Dublin	76-74-74-76-300
Alan Fadel, Toledo	73-76-75-77-301
Matt Ries, Hilliard	75-72-77-79-303
Andrew Montooth, Columbus	76-73-74-82-305

Ohio Women's Amateur

Terrace Park Country Club, Milford

July 12-16

Championship Flight: Kelsey Lindenschmidt, West Chester d. Heather Zielinski, Sylvania 5&3 (33 holes of the 36 hole final). Championship Flight Consolation: Jennifer Selfinger, Columbus d. Candace Artz, Stow 1 up 19 holes. First Flight: Lesley Monachino, Shaker Heights d. Diane Calkins, Cleves 3&2. First Flight Consolation: Nancy Battista-Allen, Powell d. Marianne Erb, Cincinnati 3&2. Second Flight: Bernice Gallagher, Cincinnati d. Mary Merritt, Lebanon 3&2. Second Flight Consolation: ancy Huber, Cincinnati d. Betsy Reynolds, Dayton 3&1. Third Flight: Stacie Manis, Canton d. Pauline Whitacre, Canton 3&2.

WOMEN'S OHIO AMATEUR WINNERS

COLUMBUS (AP) - Recent winners of the Women's Ohio Amateur golf championship flight (with tournament site). The tournament began in 1920.:

1990-Diana Schwab, Mayfield CC

1991-Alison Reifers, Portage CC

1992-Roberta Richling, Mohawk CC

1993-Becka Kasapis, Brandywine CC

1994-Shani Roth, The Lakes Golf and CC

1995-Louise Kepley, Western Hills CC

1996-Janie Dumler, Westbrook CC

1997-Jamie Rishel, Coldstream CC

1998-Julie Palmer, Canton Brookside CC

1999-Emily Bastel, Medina CC

2000-Lisa Strom, Sylvania CC

2001-Emily Bastel, Trumbull CC

2002-Jamie Rishel, CC of Pepper Pike

2003-Emily Bastel, Walnut Grove CC

2004-Kelsey Lindenschmidt, Terrace Park Country Club

U.S. Amateur Public Links

Friday

At Rush Creek Golf Club

Maple Grove, Minn.

Yardage: 7,132; Par: 72

Quarterfinals

Evan Frederick, Destin, Fla. def. Will Claxton, Swainsboro, Ga., 1 up.

Dayton Rose, Midwest City, Okla. def. William Moore, Pacific Grove, Calif., 19 holes.

Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. def. Clay Ogden, West Point, Utah, 2 and 1.

Sunghoon Kang, South Korea def. Dirk Fennie, Greensboro, N.C., 4 and 3.

Semifinals

Rose def. Frederick, 3 and 1.

R. Moore def. Kang, 7 and 6.