4th BMW GAP Women’s Championship: Day Two

BTD’s Lydic dominates with 11-stroke victory

WILMINGTON, Del. -The letters “WF” span the back panel of Sarah Lydic’s Wake Forest University golf shirt. An apropos acronym for what Lydic has been Waiting For: A championship breakout performance.

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Lydic, 19, of Ocean View, Del., a rising Wake sophomore, lapped the 4^th BMW GAP Women’s Championship field Wednesday at Wilmington Country Club (par 71, 6,168 yards). The Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club member closed with an even-par 71 to finish the 54 holes at 3 under, 11 strokes clear of the field.

Jackie Rogowicz of Merion Golf Club placed second at 8 over. Sawyer Brockstedt of Wilmington Country Club was third at 11 over.

“It’s nice because I won states when I was a senior, so it’s nice to know that I can keep winning,” said Lydic, the DIAA Girls Individual Champion in 2024 (and 2021). She won the former attending Indian River High School. “I need to keep doing what I’m doing and keep getting better. It feels good to finally be able to play well. It’s really satisfying.”

A better Lydic spells bigger trouble for all foes.

Finally healthy (from a wrist injury) and in a good head-space, Lydic ended all challenger chances early in Round 3. She entered the Final 18 holes with an eight-shot lead. Lydic exited the third hole 13 shots to the good.

She opened the third round with three straight birdies.

On No. 1 (par 4, 404 yards), she knocked a 7-wood from 184 yards to 14 feet and rolled it into the heart.

On No. 2 (par 4, 316 yards), Lydic lifted a 56-degree wedge from 93 yards to three feet for a no-stress birdie.

On No. 3 (par 5, 430 yards), the green again turned into a dart board. She danced her 56-degree, this time from 84 yards, to four feet.

Current scorecard view: 3-3-4.

“I didn’t see me birding the first hole. It’s a tough hole. I had 184 yards and I had to hit the club (7-wood), I haven’t been hitting well,” said Lydic. “My coach [Kim Lewellen] told me what to do. I guess she’s a coach for a reason. She told me just to put it up in my stance a bit and make sure the clubface was square.”

Three pars followed, before, on No. 7 (par 3, 172 yards), Lydic hoisted a 6-hybrid to eight feet for a circle two. A 4-under thru 7 holes start. Two bogeys concluded her opening nine holes.

Lydic responded to that minor adversity in style. On No. 10 (par 4, 367 yards), Lydic launched a 9-iron, into the wind, from 125 yards to three feet.

The tournament drama wasn’t who would win but by how many.

This was the first year the BMW GAP Women’s Championship moved to a 54-hole competition. It was modified from an 18-hole tournament to make it eligible for World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.  Lydic set the victory bar pretty high.

She returns to Wake Forest in a couple weeks with confidence.

An uneven season from a year ago in the rearview mirror.

“I love this event because it’s a lot like a college tournament,” said Lydic. “You have to put a good score down first and just get the momentum from that. A good number is going to give you a good mindset. You just have to capitalize on it.”

Just like she did. College competitors beware.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.