Brighton's Allyson Geer relishes experience of playing LPGA Tour event

BELMONT — It's not Allyson Geer's time yet.

Yet.

If her golf career proceeds at its current trajectory, her time will come.

The 18-year-old from Brighton already has a list of achievements that is rare for a player her age.

At 16, she was the youngest winner of the Michigan Women's Amateur. Then she repeated at age 17. Enrolling in college a semester early in January, she was the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection this spring at Michigan State.

She added a major bullet point to her resume Thursday and Friday by playing in the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club.

She missed the cut, tying for 135th with a 7-over-par score of 149. She followed a first-round 75 with a 74 Friday.

Some day, Geer hopes to play regularly on weekends on the LPGA Tour. But a recurring piece of advice she received from touring pros was that there's no need to rush the process.

"They were just saying, 'You do your thing and keep working hard and soak up all this,'" Geer said. "Being a freshman, it was awesome to experience. They said, 'We wish we'd have been able to have that as a freshman.' It was cool hearing from them. They said, 'You've got plenty of time.'"

Gerina Piller, a member of the U.S. Olympic golf team last summer, spent half an hour talking with Geer Thursday night. Other top players were willing to offer encouragement to the amateur golfer in their midst.

"Meeting Morgan (Pressel) and Paula (Creamer) and just being able to learn from them and just being among them and getting to see what their life is like was awesome," Geer said.

After being an elite player at every level, Geer came away from the tournament realizing how much of a gap there is between top college players and women who make a living playing golf.

"It was more than I expected and even better than I was hoping for," said Geer, who was home-schooled. "It was amazing. I learned a lot and a lot of what I need to improve on.

"It's just being exposed to the atmosphere out here. It was awesome for me to experience and to see where my game compares to these ladies out here, knowing what I have now for the next three years to work on and hopefully be out here when I graduate."

She was one of three Big Ten golfers given sponsor exemptions, joining Michigan's Megan Kim and Purdue's August Kim. August Kim tied for 125th at 5-over, while Megan Kim was 140th at 12-over.

"Without a question, I feel she is capable of making the cut," Michigan State coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said of Geer. "She knows that, too. On the other side, being 18 years old, and really she should've just been coming to college this fall, it's an incredible, tremendous experience. She played well. She hung in there.

"The biggest thing is just motivation for her moving forward to know she hits with these girls. She has motivation for what she needs to work on for the next three years to prepare her for being out here when she graduates."

Before Geer teed off Friday, her father told her, "Have fun."

"This was about getting your feet wet and seeing what it's like to be with the best in the world," Brad Geer said. "It was truly that with the field that was here. I just wanted her to take a moment, not put pressure on herself and realize the blessing she was given to play this week. This will drive her if she ever gets another opportunity in the future. She'll know what to expect."

Geer's playing partners for her two rounds were touring pros Amy Olson and Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods.

Both players wore the logos of corporate sponsors, which would be a no-no for Geer to maintain amateur status and NCAA eligibility. She wore a Michigan State golf shirt, socks with the Spartan logo and used her MSU golf bag.

Her visibility as a Michigan State golfer increased her cheering section beyond the numerous friends and family who came to watch her play.

Chants of "Go green, go white" were common as Geer made it around the course.

"I don't think I've ever said, 'Go white' more in my life," she said. "But it was cool. It was nice that everybody came out and supported me. I saw even some U of M people who said, 'I know you're Sparty, but I'll still root for you.' That's cool."

Geer will get another opportunity to play with professionals June 30-July 2 in the Symetra Tour's Tullymore Classic in Stanwood. The Symetra Tour is a stepping stone to the LPGA Tour. Geer made the cut and tied for 50th at Tullymore last year.

After that, Geer will attempt to become the first woman in 31 years to win three straight Michigan's Women's Amateur titles July 10-14 at Saginaw Country Club.