She beats Meylinda in tough Match Play final, heaps praise on opponent
Norlia Embong is humility personified.
After edging out gutsy Meylinda Setyo in the second play-off hole for the Tanah Merah Country Club’s Match Play women’s title on Sunday, 30 April, she heaped praise on her opponent.
“Meylinda is a strong player. She brought out the best in me. And she was unlucky to find the bunker with her drive in the challenging long par-four deciding hole of the Tampines course.
“She blasted out from the left bunker and ended up with a Double Bogey while I made a safe bogey to claim the title,” said Norlia, the unassuming champion. It was very close in regulation play and in the first play-off hole, the two finalists played bogey to stretch the game.
“I was two on, but three-putted while Meylinda was on in three and two-putted on the first par-four play-off hole,” added Norlia. “In fact, the deciding factor in our game was which player made the fewer mistakes.
“But I knew that she would be a tough opponent. All credit to her for her fighting ability.”
Said a smiling Meylinda on the play-off defeat: “It is an honour playing with Norlia. She is a solid player with a good all-round game. We are good friends, and I would like to think that she gave me chance”.
Itwasatoughweekforthedown-to-earthNorlia,whoalso retained her Singapore National Senior Championship title at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Island Course with scores of 10-over 82, 84 and 78.
The always smiling Norlia, playing off a course handicap of 11, played two tough games before reaching the Match Play final. She beat the battle- hardened Michelle Ang 2 & 1 in the quarterfinals, and the combative Sue Yap (course handicap 18) 1-up in the semi-finals.
Sue, an accomplished golfer was TMCC’s choice for pro-am of the recent LIV Golf tournament at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course because she returned the best net score during the club’s Match Play qualifying round.
RESULTS:
Quarter-finals
Sue Yap (18) bt Crystal Low (19) 5 & 4, Norlia Embong (11) bt Michelle Ang (15) 2 & 1, Meylinda Setyo (12) bt Fumiko Minowa (17) 3 & 1, Sirikit Oh (22) bt Jasmine Chew (10) 3 & 2.
Semi-finals:
Norlia Embong bt Sue Yap 1-up, Meylinda Setyo bt Sirikit Oh 3 & 2.
Final:
Norlia Embong bt Meylinda Setyo on 20th hole in play-off.
