Lozito Locks Up Playoff Win in Women's Public Links

COLTS NECK, N.J. (May 24, 2022) -- Eighteen holes was not enough to determine a champion in the MGA/WMGA Women’s Public Links Championship, Tuesday at Hominy Hill Golf Course. After making birdie on the par-5 17th, MGA eClub - Long Island member Lucy Lamb, a recent graduate of Sewanee, stood tied atop the leaderboard with Youth On Course - MGA member Ava Lozito, a rising sophomore at Monmouth University. Both players posted 7-over 79s to force a playoff.

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The playoff began on Hominy Hill's par-4 first hole with both players making par. From there, Lamb and Lozito went to the par-4 fifth hole, as the duo matched pars again before heading back to the first hole. Consistency paid off for Lozito, as a third consecutive par secured the victory.

Lozito, who competes on Monmouth's women’s golf team, made a double bogey on the 17th hole of regulation, but she didn’t let that setback alter her confidence or concentration. "It was hard, but I just took it one shot at a time after that," said Lozito regarding her mindset following the double bogey. "Fortunately, I didn't really get ahead of myself all day, so I was just trying to worry about my next shot after the 17th.

Lozito’s impressive maturity despite standing as the youngest player (18) in the field proved to be a key to her success, as was her ability to stay calm in the midst of the stressful wait for the playoff. “I just rolled a couple of putts and hung out with my boyfriend," she said. "I didn’t really do much.”

As the 2021 NJPGA Girl’s Junior Player of the Year, Lozito has relished the opportunity to compete at a high level for a while. In regards to competing in the WMGA, she said, “I really enjoy playing WMGA events. This was my first tournament of the summer and it felt great to get a win.”

MGA eClub - New Jersey member Michaila Cheung won the net portion of the event with a 6-over 78 net score.