ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – On the 18th hole at Oceanside Country Club, Mika Liu sprayed her tee shot right toward some palm trees. Liu’s ball hit the base of a palm and ricocheted left some 40 yards to the other side of the fairway.
Kaitlyn Papp, whose ball took a similar path but wound up imbedded in the rough, thought to herself, It’s a sign from God; it’s her day.
Liu’s final-round 67 on Jan. 16 was more skill than luck. She held a two-shot lead over Papp heading into the 72nd hole, and that fortuitous bounce sealed victory for Liu at the 90th South Atlantic Amateur, or “Sally” as it’s commonly called.