FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Chattanooga Mocs Women's Golf's Bella Bugg was back in competition this week at the Tennessee Women's Match Play Championship, and had a strong showing on the links. Playing in a heatwave this week that hit southeast, Bugg finished runner-up in the event put on by the Tennnesee Golf Association. The 2024 Tennnesee State Amateur Champion was looking for the second TGA win of her career. Bugg previously this summer finished tied ninth at the Southern Georgia Amateur and continued her consistent play these last few days. 

Bugg had the opportunity to play in her hometown of Franklin, Tenn., with the tournament being held at Temple Hills Country Club. It was a 16-player field, where players were divided into groups of four. Each player played the other players in their group, with the top performer in each group advancing to bracket play. This was the fifth Women's Match Play Championship in TGA history.

In pool play, Bugg was placed into Pool Two with Boonchita Sriwongngam, Ava Bankston and Joan Oates. With play beginning on Monday, Bugg cruised through pool play winning all three matches to finish top of her group and advance to the semifinals. 

In the semifinals, Bugg was matched up against Chloe Tarkany, where she took care of business with 4&2 win. With Bugg just one up after nine holes, she flipped a switch and dominated down the stretch. She won three of the next eight holes to clinch the victory. 

In today's championship, Bugg took the tee against Tori Robinson, an incoming freshman at the College of Charleston from Jackson, Tennessee. After controlling each of her previous four matches, Bugg fell victim to some great golf played by Robinson. Bugg lost 6&4 as Robinson won six holes on the day while Bugg couldn't get any holes back in her favor. 

Results
Pool Play 1: Bugg def. Boonchita Sriwongnam (Santa Clara) 6&5
Pool Play 2: Bugg def. Ava Bankston (Lipscomb) 2&1
Pool Play 3: Bugg def. Joan Oates (Memphis, Tenn.) 2&1
Semifinals: Bugg def. Chloe Tarkany (Belmont) 4&2
Championship: Tori Robinson (College of Charleston) def. Bugg 6&4

Quote
"I'm incredibly proud of Bella and her performance this week at the Fifth Tennessee Women's Match Play Championship. This tournament format provides a great opportunity for players to sharpen their match play skills," said Head Coach Annie Schmidt. "Throughout the summer, Bella has been working hard to elevate her game and consistently put herself in contention. She did exactly that this week, all while embracing and enjoying every moment of the competition. We're excited to see what she does next!"

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