ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:
Rochester grad Amy Meier’s golf career still on course
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
Coming out of high school four
years ago, Amy Meier was closer to a prodigy than a prospect on the golf
course. Already well-seasoned and polished with her game, Meier was part of an
elite group on the high school and amateur golf circuit in Michigan.
She still felt like improvement was needed.
Now, a recent graduate of Ohio State University, Meier’s
game has gone through some adjustments and the improvement has been steady. The
talented 2009 Rochester High grad recently broke through on the professional
tour and took another step into becoming a full-time, world-class golfer.
“I guess I’m living the dream,” laughed Meier, who
graduated from OSU with a degree in human nutrition. “Being able to golf at
this level is what I have dreamed about for years.”
It hasn’t been easy.
Meier, much like her younger sibling Christine Meier, now
a senior at Michigan State, has been striking the ball and hitting the greens
since she was in elementary school — with her family making sacrifices along
the way. It is really starting to pay off.
The 5-foot-7 Meier, a two-time All-Big Ten selection in
college, recently upped her career earnings to just under $10,000 when she not
only qualified for the Women’s U.S. Open on Long Island near New York City, but
made the cut for the third and fourth rounds and tied for 57th
overall. She shot 74 and 72 in the first two rounds before following that up
with a 74 and 83 in the final two rounds at the U.S. Open.
“This is something that I have been shooting for,” said
Meier, who caddied for her younger sister in 2012 when she reached the U.S.
Open. “I have worked hard for many years and playing in a tournament like this
is such an honor.”
A four-time All-State Super Team pick at Rochester, where
she helped her team win a state championship in the fall of 2008, Meier rarely finished
out of the top 10 during high school. She was the individual Division 1 state
champion as a senior in 2008 and placed in the top 10 in the state all four
years.
At Ohio State, Meier finished in the top 15 in tournament
play a total of 16 times during her stellar four-year collegiate career. She
qualified for NCAA national tournament play twice and averaged 74.32 during her
college career.
“I’ve had to make a lot of improvements since high school
and I make improvements every year,” admitted Meier. “My whole game has. It
hasn’t been easy.”
Currently playing on the Symetra Tour, where she has
landed five top-60 finishes this summer, including third at the Credit Union Classic,
Meier is looking to gradually take her game to the next another level.
“When I was younger, I dreamed about playing golf
professionally. Now, I am going to keep playing and hopefully make some big
tournaments,” beamed Meier.
Just one stroke at a time.
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