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High schooler Payton Dube eliminates Ishpeming’s Karen Plasier at U.P. Ladies Golf Association tournament

Karen Plaisier of Ishpeming watches her shot to the 10th green on Monday during a U.P. Ladies Golf Association Championships quarterfinals match at Oak Crest Golf Course in Norway. (Iron Mountain Daily News photo by Burt Angeli)

NORWAY — Paxton Johnson’s second appearance in the Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association Championships has resulted in another berth into the semifinals.

The Escanaba High School senior ousted four-time U.P. champion Becky Cecconi of Iron Mountain 4-3 in Monday’s quarterfinal matches at Oak Crest Golf Course.

Johnson made her U.P. debut last year in Marquette, reaching the championship flight semifinals before falling to 2016 champion Abby Dufrane of Marinette, Wisconsin.

The past match-play experience has proven helpful to Johnson, a three-time MHSAA U.P. Division 1 medalist.

“It’s still important to play your game, the same way you do during the qualifying round,” Johnson said. “The mentality should stay focused but just realize it’s just another round of golf.

“Take it one shot at a time and not really focus on what it means because that can put pressure on you. It’s more important to focus on your own game.”

In the other quarterfinals Monday, Hancock High School junior Payton Dube downed 2015 U.P. champion Karen Plaisier of Ishpeming 4-3, former Calumet High School star Zoe Woodworth spilled Nancy Osier of Wakefield 3-up, and Kathy Gagnon of Vulcan topped Annie Greenwood of Crystal Falls 3-up in a test of home club members.

Dube held a two-hole advantage over Plaisier after nine holes and took charge on the next two holes with a 40-foot putt and a 44-yard chip that rolled inches short of the cup.

This morning’s semifinals will match Dube against Johnson and Gagnon vs. Woodworth. The winners will meet this afternoon for the championship.

All facets of Johnson’s game are coming together.

“I hit the ball really well,” said the lefty-hitting Johnson. “The putts are finally starting to fall. I’m figuring the greens out some. My short game definitely improved from Saturday and Sunday.

“I’m also striking the ball well so that puts me in good position.”

Navigating Oak Crest’s slow greens led to Johnson posting an 85 in Saturday’s qualifying medal round — six strokes behind medalist Woodworth.

“They’re in good shape but really slow,” Johnson said of the greens. “They’re not patchy or dry but they’re slower than any other course I’ve played in the U.P. this year.

“It just took some time getting used to that. They’ve gotten faster over the last couple days. It took me at least six or seven holes Saturday to get used to them.”

All four golfers in Johnson’s foursome relied on caddies. Nine-time U.P. champion Linda Uren of Iron Mountain rode along with Plaisier, Hancock High coach Paul Sintkowski looked over Dube, Norway High School golfer Jeff VanHolla helped out Johnson and U.P. Hall of Fame basketball coach and Oak Crest member Don Benzie assisted Cecconi.

Johnson found VanHolla “pretty helpful.”

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to and joke around with,” she said. “It lightens the mood especially after a bad shot where when you’re alone; you get in your own head.”

While Oak Crest will host the U.P. men’s tournament next month with four days of medal play, Johnson prefers the UPLGA’s match-play format.

“It’s a lot more challenging and it’s also more forgiving,” Johnson said. “If you make a really bad slip-up you can only be down one or even if you have a really good hole and they have a really bad slip-up, you can only be up one. So it’s real important to be consistent and consistently outscore your opponent, and that’s how you win.”

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