Josee Doyon of Quebec, Canada won the Second Annual PXG Women’s Match Play Championship and did so with brilliant play that led to what turned out to be a comfortable 4&3 victory over Amanda Tan of Singapore.
The championship match had an international flair to it, that showcased how in just two years, the championship is becoming a marquee event that female developmental golfers from around the world want to come and play.
With the win, Doyon earned a $15,000 winner’s check, which she will use to help in her continued attempt to advance her placement in the golf world and achieve her dream of having a successful career as a women’s professional golfer.
“It sounds cliché, but this money is life changing,” Doyon said.
Doyon had felt her game coming together of late and with that her confidence has also grown, which was a major factor that prompted her success in the final.
She finished with a string of birdies to take the lead and distance herself along the back nine at the Slammer & Squire Course at the World Golf Village.
The key to her victory was that the majority of her putts, especially when she made her run were short thanks to some excellent placement on her approach shots that seemed to be hitting on target all day.
“I was just hitting the ball well all week and then making the putts,” Doyon said. “I was just feeling really confident in my shot and didn’t feel nervous at any point, just excited to be playing solid golf.”
The unique format combining stroke and match play over a week was a different experience than what the players are typically used to, but one that they embraced with open arms.
“It’s a long week definitely, but also really fun to have tournaments like this once and a while,” Doyon said. “For me, it was my last tournament of the season, so it felt nice to end it like this.”
Doyon focused on the mental side of the game, which although it is always present, takes a different form when competing in match play, where the focus is all about beating the player across from you.
“It really narrows your focus, because you can see how they’re doing, but at the same time, you want to make sure to stay within your game,” Doyon said. “It’s definitely a lot of constant adjusting.”
Finishing runner-up was also a stellar performance by Amanda Tan, who showcased her skill throughout the week and proved that she has what it takes to compete and contend in such marquee events where the pressure intensifies.
“It was quite unexpected, because I didn’t play very well during the stroke play, but then I just kept going and tried to see how far I could end up going,” Tan said. “I played pretty good, but Josse definitely had one heck of a round.”
Tan led early on in the contest during the front nine, until Doyon really started making her charge toward the tail end of the front nine and at the turn.
For Tan, it just came down to not making putts as consistently as she would have liked to compliment her shot making.
“Coming into the week I had been driving the ball really good, but at the end of the day, I just wish I holed more putts,” Tan said.
Eighty-seven players began the weeklong tournament, which opened with a round of stroke play that helped seed the match play portion of the competition that caried on through the weekend.
According to Mark Berman, owner of the East Coast Women’s Pro Golf Tour and creator of the tournament, the number of entrants was up this year and there was even a waiting list of those interested in competing.
