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Szeryk takes B.C. Amateur

Texan Maddie Szeryk shot a final-round 3-under 70 Friday to win the B.C. Amateur Women’s Golf title
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Maddie Szeryk (right) gets a hug from her Golf Canada teammate Jaclyn Lee after winning the 2017 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship Friday at Vernon Golf and Country Club. (Lisa VanderVelde/Morning Star) Lisa VanderVelde/Morning Star Maddie Szeryk (right) gets a hug from her Golf Canada teammate Jaclyn Lee after winning the 2017 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship Friday at Vernon Golf and Country Club.

Maddie Szeryk of Texas didn’t seem to mind getting soaked with water after winning the B.C. Amateur Women’s Golf Championships Friday at the sun-drenched Vernon Golf &Country Club.

Szeryk shot a final-round 3-under 70 Friday to finish at 9-under 283 for the 72 hole tournament.

“I’m used to the heat in Texas so a little water felt nice,” said Szeryk, doused by Golf Canada teammates after a short closing par putt on the 18th hole. “This is a great temperature.”

Szeryk, who had her mother, Karen, caddying, posted nines of 33 and 37 to finish four strokes ahead of Golf Canada teammate Jacyln Lee of Calgary. Lee produced the low round of the day at 68 with a 32 on the front.

“It feels pretty awesome,” said Szeryk, a 20-year-old dual citizen whose mom was born in London, Ont. “It’s great to win and coming in with the lead, but still only by three shots. It was really fun. It’s (course) tough. You’re never, ‘Oh I can make par from here.’ On the greens, you can still three-putt and you’ve always gotta be on your game.”

Szeryk and her mother, a schoolteacher, were headed to a celebratory lunch with a couple of Maddie’s aunts, who live in Kelowna. Karen and her chiropractor husband, Neil, moved from London to Allen, a suburb of Dallas, shortly after they were married.

Having her mom rather than her grandfather and London fastball hall of famer Metro Szeryk, carrying her bag, worked wonders in Vernon.

“It went really well,” smiled Maddie, a talented soccer striker as a young teen. “She’s not a golfer, but she’s learning.”

Joked Karen: “I was trying to stay out of the way.”

Lee and others from Team Canada doused Szeryk with water on the 18th green in between hugs.

“It’s pretty cool; we’re definitely like family,” said Szeryk, who stars for the Texas A&M Aggies. “We travel together a lot in the summer and we see each other at some college tournaments so it’s a lot of fun to have them out. Before I was about to putt that one, I saw them with water bottles and I thought, ‘Oh no.’”

Lee has known Szeryk for a few years and says the entire Canadian team is a tight bunch.

“I think that any one of us could have won it for sure,” said Lee, a 20-year-old two-time Alberta Women’s Amateur winner who plays for the Ohio State University Buckeyes. “I think coming out here, we knew any one of us had a chance and it was good to see her (Szeryk) play some good golf this week.”

Naomi Ko of Victoria, who is on the Canadian team and plays for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, shot 76 Friday to finish tied for third with Michelle Kim of Surrey, nine strokes behind Szeryk. Ko and Kim, who carded a 74, were in the final threesome with Szeryk.

Grace St-German of Ottawa, also with the national squad, finished fifth with a 295 total, three back of Ko and Kim. St-Germain produced a 73 Friday.

Two weeks ago, Szeryk defeated Dylan Kim (Sacshe, Tex.) 3 and 1 in a 36-hole match to become the first Canadian to win the Western Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship at River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst, Ill.

Kat Kennedy of Okotoks, Alta. aced the par-3 third hole with a nine-iron and finished with a 74, good for sole posession of sixth place, at 299.

Three-time champion Christine Proteau of Port Alberni and Gloria Choi of Langley shared seventh spot at 307, while Tiegan Taylor of Kelowna and last year’s runner-up Mary Parsons of Delta tied for ninth at 309. Choi fired a 73 Friday, while Proteau and Taylor shot 77 and Parsons 76.

As the three top B.C. finishers, Ko, Kim and Choi, will represent B.C. at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championships, July 25-28 at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont. Choi beat Proteau in a playoff to earn the third spot.

The 2018 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship will be played at Golden Golf Club.

Emery Bardock of Armstrong (Spallumcheen Golf &CC) fashioned a final-round 83 to end up tied for 26th at 333. The field of 48 was cut to the top 28 and ties after two rounds.

Szeryk next has a U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament, followed by the North-South comp at Pinehurst No. 2 course and then the Canadian Amateur. Her sister, Ellie, 15, is playing an Ontario tournament this weekend.

Maddie’s father, Neil, played first base for Team Canada back in the day, while her uncle, Scott Szeryk of London, is an amazing guitarist who has played the Canadian national anthem at Toronto Blue Jays games at Rogers Centre.

Maddie visits her Canadian relatives — 30 cousins on her mom’s side alone — every summer and Christmas.