NATCHEZ — The Gallagher girls showdown turned into a blowout.
After trading wins on the first two holes of match play, it was all Mary Langdon Gallagher after that as she cruised to a 6-and-5 victory over younger sister, Kathleen Gallagher, in the Mississippi Women’s Golf Association State Amateur Championship.
Mary Langdon, 22, who just finished a four-year golf career at Mississippi State, had her best 9-hole round of her life Thursday at Beau Pre’ Country Club with a 4-under-par 32 to go 5-up on Kathleen, 17, a rising senior at Pillow Academy, who recently verbally committed to play golf for LSU.
Mary Langdon, who also won the state amateur in 2010, made three straight birdies on holes 5,6 and 7 to take control against her sister and defending state am champion.
“I have never turned at 32, not even when I shot my career-best round of 66 in a tournament in Greenwood,” said the former Lady Bulldog. “ I caddied for Kathleen last year when she won, and I remember how many birdies she made. I knew I had to have a performance like that to beat her.
“She played well, but she won’t say that she did. I am proud of her.”
After Wednesday’s semifinal round, Mary Langdon said the two sisters would ride in the same cart in the championship round, but that didn’t happen.
“I knew I couldn’t concentrate on my round because I would be talking to her about what she was doing. We actually didn’t say one word to each other during the final round,” Mary Langdon said.
Not much was said between them after the round either.
“I just hugged her and saw our parents right there and started balling crying. I am so emotional anyway, but that was tough,” said the elder Gallagher sister.
Mary Langdon closed out the win in style on the 133-yard, par-3 13th hole when she came within inches of a hole-in-one for her fifth birdie of the day.
“I am proud of her,” Kathleen said of her older sister. “She played well and deserved it, but I am pretty disappointed at the same time.”
Kathleen will now turn her attention to some major AJGA national tournaments before school starts back in early August. She leaves Saturday for the Rolex Girls Championship in New York at the Country Club of Rochester.
Mary Langdon will return to Mississippi State in the fall to finish her degree in educational phycology and then hopes to attend nursing school.
Mary Langdon had to defeat her mother, Cissye, owner of a record 11 state amateur titles, in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Jim Gallagher Jr, father of the two golfers, was proud of his girls but glad the head-to-head drama was over.
“You’re only as happy as your saddest child. I’ve heard that said before, and it’s so true,” said Gallagher, a five-time winner of the PGA Tour. “It’s been an emotional deal for the whole family.”
