Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Home-course feeling works well for Graceffa at women's classic

Allison Graceffa used her home-course advantage to reach Thursday’s semifinals of the Greater Rockford Women’s Golf Classic.

“I have experience playing here,” Graceffa said after holding off former champion Jordan Hatch 1-up Tuesday at Rockford Country Club. “I figure I have a little one-up on the girls playing here, which probably helped me out on the greens. I did know how to read some of those.”

But it took a while for Graceffa, seeded seventh, to get adjusted as the second-seeded Hatch went 4 up through five holes. Upon reaching No. 8, something clicked for Graceffa, who went on a hot streak winning that hole and Nos. 9, 10 and 11.

“I was nervous in the beginning,” said Graceffa, who attends the University of Illinois-Springfield. “Match play gets into your head a little bit.”

Graceffa wasn’t the only player in the championship flight mounting a comeback.

Allison was featured in a August 4, 2010, article in the Rockford Register Star.

Download a PDF of the article