Greenlief and Altomare Win Top Amateur Tournaments

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Charlottesville, VA – Virginia women’s golfers Lauren Greenlief and Brittany Altomare both won amateur events Thursday. Greenlief took top honors at the Virginias Women’s Stroke Play Championship in Williamsburg and Altomare claimed the 99th Women’s Eastern Golf Association Amateur Championship in Scotch Plains, N.J. Both players will be sophomores at Virginia next season.

Altomare won the WEGA title at Shackamaxon Golf & Country Club by leading wire-to-wire. She posted rounds of 70, 72 and 70 for a 54-hole total of 4-under 212. Altomare was four strokes ahead of runner-up Marina Alex. UVa teammate Eleana Collins was 11th at 235. Last year Altomare was the runner-up at the tournament.

Altomare will play in the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open July 8-11 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

Greenlief made a 12-foot birdie putt from just off the putting surface on the seventh extra hole at Kingmill Resort & Spa Woods Course, the par-4 18th, to outlast Christine Appleton of Seaford and collect a repeat victory in the event.

In taking the title, Greenlief birdied the final four holes of regulation, Nos. 15-18, to match Appleton’s final-round 70 and the 54-hole total of 2-under-par 214. She shot 70 in the first round and 74 during the second round. UVa teammate Elizabeth Brightwell was fourth at the event at 226.

“It’s definitely one of the highest points of my golf career,” Greenlief said. “To be able to defend against a tough field makes me feel really good about my game. We both played phenomenal golf.”

The Virginia State Golf Association contributed to this report