Dy sisters march to Sweet 16 at Michigan Amateur Championship
Jun. 16—ROCHESTER — An all-Dy final at the 106th Michigan Women's Amateur Championship is a possibility as both Anika Dy and Anci Dy won their matches Wednesday to advance to the Sweet 16.
The sisters, Traverse City West alums and stellar golfers are on opposite sides of the bracket and would only face each other if they both reach the title match at Great Oaks Country Club.
Older sister Anika, who golfs for the University of Michigan and won three individual and two state championships as a Titan, topped Western Michigan University's Natalie Samdal 3-and-2. Anci, who golfs for the University of Indianapolis and won a team state championship alongside her sister as a freshman, defeated Saginaw Valley State's Mandy Erlich 2-and-1.
Anci is slated to take on Kate Brody, a senior at Grand Blanc High School who verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin, in the upper bracket. Brody took out Ann Arbor Skyline's Adie Maki 3-and-1. Anika will go head to head against Sophie Stevens, a 16-year-old homeschooled student from Highland, in the lower bracket. Stevens beat Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor 4-and-2.
The rest of the field of 16 features some familiar names to Michigan women's golf.
Defending champion Kimberly Dinh of Midland, last year's runner-up Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield, and this year's stroke-play medalist and top seed Caroline Ellis all won first-round matches .
Dinh, a senior research specialist for Dow Chemical, topped former Grand Valley State University golfer Mackenzie Blomberg 7-and-6. Schulz, a fellow Wolverine of Anika's, turned back Amaya Melendez of Ann Arbor 7-and-5. Ellis, the assistant women's golf coach at Michigan State University, beat Laura Liu, a high school golfer from Rochester Hills 7-and-5. All of those matches were completed before noon, setting the tone for the day.
Dinh said she played steady golf with one bogey and one birdie in her win.
"I knew all the elements were there in stroke play but I hadn't put it together yet," she said. "I kind of figured out the driver and had a lot of confidence in that and hit good iron shots all day."
Dinh, who has made the Sweet 16 seven times, said her plan is the same as always in match play — one shot at a time.
"Play solid, consistent golf and we will see how it falls," she said.
Schulz is determined to win after getting to the final match a year ago. She had a bogey-free day in her win and was up six holes after nine.
"She dropped some putts, but I was going to be tough to beat today," said Schulz, last year's GAM Champion. "This field has a lot of good players, and I need the putter to be working for me this week if I want to advance. I'm seeing the line and feeling that I'm hitting the center of the clubface."
Ellis said she made a lot of pars on the front nine and then took over her match with birdies on holes No. 10, 12 and 13.
"That happened fast. I kind of got in a groove," she said.
This is Ellis' first Michigan Women's Amateur as a Michigan resident.
"I'm excited to be here and we will see what happens," she said.
Two rounds of match play Thursday and Friday will determine a champion.
