After Michigan Women’s Amateur win, Anna Kramer got a different look at her future in golf
Spring Lake’s Anna Kramer realized that winning the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship would draw more attention to her as a golfer.
She didn’t realize what she calls her biggest win would start so many people wondering if she would play professional golf.
“I never really thought seriously about making a career out of playing, to be honest,” said the business administration and management major as well as standout golfer at the University of Indianapolis.
“I definitely have gotten a lot of questions about trying to play professionally and I just don’t know the answer. I do know winning the Amateur has given me more confidence and helped me know what I’m capable of or what I could be capable of with golf. I still have goals with college. I guess if I play pretty well in the next year and get better, I will think more about it.”
Kramer, 21 and a senior-to-be at Indianapolis this fall, appeared to be on a mission while marching through the recent Michigan Amateur at Forest Akers West on the campus of Michigan State University. She was the stroke-play medalist to earn the No. 1 seed in the match play bracket to start the week and then subdued five others in matches to win the title.
A 1-up quarterfinal battle with 13-year-old phenom Lauren Timpf was the biggest test of the week, and she closed out the championship with a 5-and-4 win over 2018 champion Kerri Parks of Marshall University.
“She stayed right with me,” Kramer said of Timpf. “It was the toughest match, although none of them were easy. I made some putts on Kerri in the final. I’m really happy with the way I played under pressure all week.”
Kramer, who won the 2016 GAM Championship and made quarterfinal runs in match play in previous Michigan Amateurs, said added strength has helped her with golf.
“I’ve always been huge into working out,” she said. “I find it fun. At school in-season we do weights twice a week, and out of season I do it twice and I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger. It’s great at school with all the strength coaches around to help you.”
She hasn’t noticed a difference in distances with her iron shots, but her tee shots with driver have definitely improved.
“My driver is going quite a bit farther and really with the same swing,” she said. “It’s easier getting it out there and going in with an 8-iron instead of a 6-iron or something.”
Soccer and tennis competed with golf for Kramer’s attention during her school years. She finally opted for golf over soccer early in high school because of possible injury, but she said she did play tennis her last two years of high school when she burned out a bit on golf.
“I love competing in anything, and especially golf,” she said. “Golf has also allowed me to travel and play a lot of different golf courses, and to meet a lot of new people. In high school the goal was getting a college scholarship to play golf and that has all kind of worked out so far.”
When not golfing, she still enjoys tennis, boating, a day at the beach, shopping and hanging out with family.
The daughter of Rich and Pam Kramer has a brother Ben, who played golf at Hope College in nearby Holland. They previously lived in the Ferrysburg area and the family played at Muskegon Country Club. They moved to Spring Lake and in recent years play at Spring Lake Country Club. Summers of the last few years for Anna have been spent working as a bag attendant at Muskegon CC and practicing golf.
“I started playing golf at like five or six – the whole family plays,” she said. “It’s what I’ve done for a long time, and I’m always trying to improve.”
She is a fan of golf, and has attended some LPGA tournaments, but she likes to watch the likes of Tiger Woods and the younger players currently starring on the PGA Tour.
“They do phenomenal things and I enjoy seeing that,” she said.
She has largely learned the game as she grew up but did work previously with Grand Rapids teacher Patti Butcher and works a lot with her college coach Brent Nicoson, whose teams have won two NCAA Division II national titles. She feels her focus is her best skill on the golf course.
“I stay focused and determined the whole time,” she said. “(In the Amateur) I felt the most comfortable and confident I ever have in a tournament.”
Her mother, Pam, serves as her caddie often, but makes it clear the golf is all Anna.
“I push the cart, get water, stay out of the way,” Pam said and laughed. “Anna plays her game her way. I’m here to support.”
Anna calls her great support.
“She is kind of there to push the bag, but also there for to keep me comfortable and to help me save energy,” she said. “She has given me a lot of time. No matter what I do with golf or whatever, my family is there for me. I know that.”
