Larie Lynch passed the test.

It started with playing a golf course she didn't know that well with her father, Chris, as a caddy. And, two of her opponents are major players in West Virginia women's golf.

Those storylines followed Lynch as she began play last weekend in the Women's Tri-State Amateur at Preston Country Club in Kingwood, W.Va. By Sunday night, the Marshall University senior golfer had had mastered the course, handled the big-time foes, prospered with her dad on the bag and finally aced the "pressure" test with a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff and another birdie on the first extra hole to win.

"This shows I can do it," Lynch said.

Lynch, who opened with 73, posted a tournament-record 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to pull even with Megan Leineweber of Salisbury, Md. Both had 141 totals. Leineweber, a senior at Radford University, led by two shots going to the par-3 18th, but her bogey and Lynch's birdie forced extra holes.

Leineweber's tee shot on the 180-yard 18th hole landed in a bunker. Lynch pulled out a 7-wood and lofted her tee shot 13 to 15 feet from the hole. "I knew I had to go for it," Lynch said. Leineweber's blast from the sand finished 11 feet from the hole. Lynch putted first and made it to apply more pressure on Leineweber, who missed her putt.

The playoff started on No. 1 and Leineweber's approach on the par-4 found another bunker. Lynch's second shot with a 7-iron landed on the back of the green. She two-putted for par and Leineweber missed her par-saving atttempt to give the title to Lynch.

Nicolle Sawczyszyn, the reigning West Virginia Women's Amateur champion, shot 78 on day two and finished 11 back at 152. Kimberly Eaton, who figures to contend at the Women's Am later this month at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane, closed with 154. Former Thundering Herd golfer Meredith Crislip came in with 158.

"This is exciting, but what makes it more exciting is having my dad caddie for me," Lynch said. "He helped me around the greens. He told me not to second guess myself. On No. 18, he helped me read the putt and I drained it."

As for the double-digit margin over Sawczyszyn and Eaton, Lynch said, "They're good players. They could've just had a bad day."

Lynch's next tournament is the 107th Women's North-South Amateur scheduled July 13-18 at Pinehurst Resort. A format change this year means 30 players are exempt into match play. The final 34 will be determined in an 18-hole qualifier on the resort's demanding No. 2 course.

"The win puts me in a good mindset," Lynch said. "I'll have to play my best at Pinehurst. Everything about that course is difficult."

KELLY WINS: Sean Kelly of Staten Island, N.Y., won the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier held June 17 at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane. The David Leadbetter Golf Academy student shot an even-par 144 for two rounds to finish seven shots ahead of runner-up Stanhope Johnson Jr. of Greensboro, N.C. Matt Plummer of Mechanicsburg, Pa., carded 154 and placed third. The Junior Am for boys and girls will be held July 20-25 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

LOOKING AHEAD: The West Virginia Junior Amateur is Tuesday and Wednesday on the Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain. ... The first West Virginia Amateur qualifier is Thursday at Lewisburg Elks Country Club. ... Monday is the deadline to enter the Riverside Amateur scheduled next weekend at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. Entry fee is $85 and includes a practice round. This is a Point Tournament for West Virginia Golf Association player of the year. Call (304) 773-5354 for more information.

David Walsh covers golf for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2730. His e-mail is dwalsh@herald-dispatch.com.

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