June 16, 2006

MORGANTON, N.C. -- The final round of the 57th annual North Carolina Amateur Championship wasn't without drama. After three days of excellent golf conditions, course-wise and weather-wise, at Morganton's Mimosa Hills Country Club, two players separated themselves from the 112-player field in the end.

Leading going into the final round of the 54-hole championship by three shots, Fuquay-Varina's Adrienne Millican withstood a serious bid by 18-year old Emily Street of Forest City to win her first N.C. Amateur title.

Millican, a 2005 East Carolina graduate and without question the school's best ever women's golfer, didn't waltz to the victory. She had to earn this one. Her three-shot lead at the beginning of the day had all but disappeared when the two players walked off the 13th hole of the final round.

A two-shot swing in Street's favor at the 182-yard par 3 thirteenth hole, her birdie to Millican's bogey, pulled Street to within one. Minutes later, Millican's lead was gone and she found herself down one. Street's chip-in eagle on the par-4 14th hole gave her the lead, but only momentarily.

At Mimosa's 15th hole, a difficult 352-yard par four, Street made bogey, while Millican got up-and-down from 50 yards out from the green after chipping out of the left woods.

Tied going into hole 16, Millican, winner of five college tournaments during her illustrious ECU career, asserted herself and took control of the championship with birdie there and 17. Her birdie at 16 was a tap-in and she rolled in a 15-footer on the par 3 17th.

Both players shot two-under par 70's in the final round. Millican's three-day total of 210 (six-under) is a new tournament record. The previous best was 212, set by Page Marsh (72-69-71) at the 1985 Championship.

"It's an honor to get your name on this trophy," said a smiling Millican. "There are some great players who have won this tournament. I'm thrilled with the victory.

"After Emily took the lead on 14 with the eagle I just tried to stay calm and not try to do anything miraculous that could backfire. I just wanted to make pars and not force anything. It just worked out that I made birdies on 16 and 17 to re-take the lead."

Millican plans to play a full slate of major amateur events this summer before deciding about professional golf and the Futures Tour.