Meghan Bolger, 28, coach of the University of Mississippi women's golf team and the local favorite, defeated Thuhashini Selvaratnam, 30, of Sri Lanka, 5 and 4, to win the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at the 6,151-yard, par-72 course at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss.

"It's going to hit me a little bit later," Bolger said. "It's still very exciting right now. It's new."

In cold, rainy conditions, Bolger dominated the match. The harsh weather forced her to use longer clubs than normal for her approach shots but she hit 11 of 14 greens in regulation figures. With the usual match-play concessions, Bolger was one over par for the match.

"I've played in a whole lot worse, condition-wise," Bolger said. "My goal was to have as many pars as possible and not be stuck in the rough. I just tried to be in the fairway and hit as many greens as possible."

Selvaratnam played superb golf all week but struggled in the final, winning just two holes, the first with a par and the ninth, a 450-yard par 5, with a birdie.

Bolger squared the match with a winning par on the second hole, and then won three straight holes. Her par on the 382-yard par-4 fourth beat Selvaratnam's bogey. Another par won the 337-yard par-4 fifth. On the 331

yard, par-4 sixth, she hit a pitching wedge from 95 yards to within 12 feet of the hole and made the birdie putt to go 3 up.

"After malting that good putt on six, I think definitely that helped me get going." Bolger said.

She went 4 up with a conceded birdie at the eighth.

Selvaratnam's birdie on the 450-yard par-S ninth reduced Bolger's advantage to three holes at the turn. Bolger regained her 4-up lead at the 10th hole but said the rain and cold meant that victory at that point was not assured.

"(Selvaratnam) is a great player, so you have to keep making good shots," Bolger said.

Selvaratnam, who also hit longer clubs because of the weather, said she was just trying to persevere.

"I didn't have my hot putter like I did yesterday," she said. "It was miserable ... It was raining and both Meghan and I had to deal with it and she played great. I told myself, `Don't let it get to you,' and I did the best I could."

Bolger won the 11th hole with a par to go 5 up. The match ended when both players bogeyed the 354-yard par-4 14th.

Bolger advanced to the final by defeating Jill Hardy of Canada, 3 and 2. Selvaratnam defeated three-time USA Curbs Copper Virginia Grimes of Meridian, Miss., in the semifinal, 2 and 1.