RICHLAND – Susan Campbell of Kalamazoo chalked up her championship at the 9th GAM Women’s Senior Amateur at Gull Lake Country Club to the blessings of the golf gods.

“I just had one of those crazy days where all of that stuff that you practice for and hope will happen happened,” said Campbell. “I just had one of those very special days.”

Campbell defeated Cathy Netter (Monroe) in the match-play final 6 and 4. Eight players in the field of 32 stroke play participants advanced to match play.  Campbell’s closest match was in the quarterfinal against Maureen Whitehead (Charle-voix); Campbell , who was the 7th seed in match play, won the match 1 up.  She defeated Barb Schmid (Grand Rapids) in the semi-final 6. But it was in her match against Netter where things just seemed to fall into place effortlessly.

“My second shot on the first hole was off a side-hill lie and it was one of those where it was a little above my feet but it felt really good when I hit it,” said Campbell. “It hit some mounds by the bunker and bounced on the green and rolled toward the hole. That is the kind of thing that happened throughout the match.”

On the third hole, Campbell sunk her birdie putt and Netter just missed hers. The match, Campbell says, was closer than the score indicates.

“Cathy hits the ball so well that you just have to keep plodding – you can never start to assume that you have the match won,” said Campbell. “Cathy would probably tell you that she did not putt well but she did not putt poorly. Most of her putts were very good putts that missed by a hair. I had three putts lip out on Sunday and just squeaked into match play so I guess the course owed me three on Tuesday.”

Campbell won the Women’s Senior Amateur in 2008 when she and Whitehead went to 20 holes to determine the champion.

“That was fun and it felt good to win in 2008 but this was really great this year,” said Campbell. “The matches I played just fell together in such a special way.”