Therese Quinn Wins 2019 Senior Championship
Therese Quinn of Jacksonville, FL added her name to the winners of the Women’s Southern Senior Golf championship with a 4-shot victory last week in coastal Alabama.
Quinn fired a 54-hole total of 225 with rounds of 75-76-74 en route to the victory. This year’s championship was contested on the Cotton Creek course at Craft Farms Golf Resort in Gulf Shores, Al.
Runner-up honors went to 2018 Mid-Amateur Champion Susan West of Alabama and former three-time Senior Champion Mina Hardin of Texas, who both finished at 229. West won the scorecard playoff for second place. Fourth place in the championship went to 2016 Senior Champion Julie Harrison of Baton Rouge.
Texan Becky Neal won the 1st Flight of the Championship Division with a score of 248, beating former senior champion Chris Spivey of Alabama in a scorecard playoff. Rounding out the hardware winners in this flight were former Southern Amateur and Southern Senior winner Taffy Brower of Florida and Carol Turnage of Texas, both with scores of 251.
Reigning Senior Champion Anna Schultz of Texas captured Medalist Honors this year with a round of 74 on the first day. Texan Jewell Malick was the 2019 Super Senior winner with a 54-hole score of 244.
Pam Posey of Mississippi outlasted Gulf Shores resident Sha Carter to win the Tournament Flight Championship. Posey shot a three-day total of 237 to defeat the local tournament chairman Carter by two strokes. Third place in the first flight went to Pam Fossett of Louisiana, who beat Pam Spikes of Arkansas in a scorecard playoff. Both players shot a 240, with Fossett firing a 75 on the final day to move up in the standings.
Texan Claudia Willis won the Tournament Division 1st Flight with a score of 256. Second went to Chris Stoute (257) of Louisiana, with Rebecca Huber (257) of Arkansas next and Cassandra Groh (258) of Texas fourth.
Rosetta Parks of Arkansas took first in the 2nd flight with a score of 263. She was followed by Lisa Horsley (266) of Mississippi, Debbie Magee (268) of Louisiana and Dianne Dillard (268) of Texas.
Capturing the 3rd Flight top prize with a score of 281 was Kathlyn Smith of Oklahoma. Second in this flight went to Linda Bowser (283) of Texas with Texan Karen Toland (288) third and Mississippi’s Debbie Wolf (288).
Louisiana’s Julia McKey took the top spot in the 4th flight with a score of 282. She was followed by Christie Mahl (286) of Arkansas, Linda Bussey (295) of Mississippi and Karen Friesen (295) of Texas.
One of the highlights of the event was a hole-in-one by former WSGA President Linda Carter of Arkansas on the opening day of the competition. Carter aced #8 on the Cotton Creek course.
“The WSGA would like to say a big thank you to WSGA Chairman Susan West of Tuscaloosa and Local Club Chairman Sha Carter for all their efforts in organizing a great senior championship,” said WSGA President Donna Kay Meyer following the event. “Thanks to all the competitors, board members, volunteers and the Craft Farms staff for hosting an outstanding tournament.”
The next WSGA tournament will be the 2020 Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships scheduled June 1-5. These events will be held at The Falls of the Palm Beaches in Lake Worth, FL.
The Women's Southern Golf Association and the Texas Golf Association Join Forces To Help Promote Women's Amateur Golf
Women’s Southern Golf Association and the Texas Golf Association
Join Forces to help promote Women’s Amateur Golf
After exploring many options the WSGA recently partnered with the Texas Golf Association in an effort to bolster the competitiveness of both entities. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the TGA will oversee tournament administration for the WSGA, one of the oldest and most prestigious golf associations in the nation.
The TGA will help conduct the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship, Women’s Southern Mid-Amateur Championship and the Women’s Senior Amateur Championship as part of a two-year contract.
“Being involved with the TGA affords us an opportunity to partner with an organization whose core competency is tournament administration,” WSGA President Donna Kay Meyer said. “The TGA is one of the elite golf associations in the United States and we are honored to be able to partner with them. We look forward to growing the game and promoting our brand together.”
The WSGA has a long and storied history dating back to 1911 when Mrs. Roger Smith of Nashville, TN captured the first title at Eastlake Golf Club in Atlanta. A number of well-known names have been engraved on the Championship Trophy through the years, including those of LPGA Tour Professionals and Major Champions Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis. Other recent winners include Sierra Brooks of Florida, Lucy Nunn of Oklahoma, Hally Leadbetter of Florida and Texan Calynne Roshult of Cedar Park, the two-time defending champion.
The 34th WSGA Senior Amateur Championship concludes the 2019 WSGA season at Craft Farms Golf Resort’s Creek Course Nov. 5-7. A full field of 112 players will be competing, with the winner claiming the Katherine Graham Senior Trophy.
TGA Executive Director Stacy Dennis and TGS Director of Women’s Operations Amy Worthington will oversee the day-to-day operations of the WSGA, including the administration of the association’s three championships. The partnership begins with the 2020 Women’s Southern Amateur and 2020 Women’s Mid-Amateur at The Falls Club of the Palm Beaches in Lake Worth, FL June 1-4.
The 2020 Women’s Southern Senior Amateur will be contested Oct. 27-29 at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, MS
“The TGA is thrilled to be involved with the WSGA,” Dennis said. “The WSGA and Texas share multiple past champions, current players and a deep commitment to impacting women’s golf. It is an honor and extremely natural fit to work together. We are excited to find new ways to collaborate to grow women’s golf and expand championship experiences for women in the South.”
“The primary objectives of the WSGA are to attract elite and full fields in all three of our championships and to be a tournament of choice among amateur women,” Meyer said. “Given the advances in the industry we feel we will be better served by having someone the caliber of the Texas Golf Association to help with our administration.”
Founded in 1910, the WSGA promotes the game of golf among women golfers in the southern states. Our association is governed by a Board of Directors, who conducts three championships and raises funds for college scholarships for graduating high school senior girls. The WSGA includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and District of Columbia.
2019 Amateur & Mid-Amateur Champions
June 7, 2019
WSGA Amateur Champion
Calynne Rosholt successfully defended her Women’s Southern Golf Association Amateur Championship Friday morning with a 5&4 win over Hannah Berman. Lockwood Folly Country Club in Holden Beach, NC was the site of this year’s championship, which featured some outstanding golf played by top amateurs from throughout the South.
Rosholt, a 16-year-old from Cedar Park, TX, came into match play as the #4 seed after shooting a 73 in the qualifying round. Berman was the #7 seed following her 74 in the qualifier.
The winner opened match play with a 2&1 win over Elizabeth Caldarelli. Her toughest match came in the second round when she had to play 25 holes before defeating Abbey Daniel of Covington, LA. She followed that up with a 5&4 win over Ole Miss player Kennedy Swann and a 1-up win over Megan Schofill. Schofill will join the Auburn golf team in the fall.
Berman, a Ponte Vedra Beach, FL resident, plays at Jacksonville University. She opened play with a 2 up win over Katharine Patrick and followed with a 19 hole win over Riley Smyth. She then recorded a big 1-up win over one of the tournament favorites Lauren Greenlief of Virginia, a former USGA Mid-Amateur Champion. Berman defeated Emma Whitaker in the semifinals 1 up to get a spot in the championship match.
In the Consolation of the Championship Emily Hawkins of Lexington, NC, defeated Britta Snyder of Ames, Iowa 3&1.
UNC Wilmington golfer Amy Wooten defeated Murray State golfer Anna Moore 2 up in the Amateur First Flight Championship.
In the First Flight Consolation Finals LSU golfer Alden Wallace of Shreveport, LA defeated Carson Roberts 3&2. Roberts, who is from Dalton, GA, plays at the University of North Georgia.
Co-Medalist honors in the Southern Amateur went to Rachel Kuehn of Asheville, NC and Lauren Greenlief of Ashburn, VA, who both fired an impressive 69 in the qualifying round.
One of the highlights of the week was a hole-in-one for LSU golfer Mary Chauvin. She recorded her first-ever ace in Tuesday’s opening round of match play on #11. She used an 8 iron on the 147-yard Par 3.
Outgoing WSGA President Janie Carpenter and board members who ran the championship had a lot of help from Lockwood Folly Head Professional Eric Morgan and a group of some 85 local volunteers.
June 7, 2019
WSGA Mid-Amateur Championship
Mary Jane Hiestand of Naples, Florida captured her first Women’s Southern Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship Friday with a 2&1 victory over Southern Mississippi golf coach, Luck Nunn of Hattiesburg, MS. The tournament was held at the picturesque Lockwood Folly Country Club in Holden Beach, NC.
Hiestand earned her spot in the final with a 2 up win over defending champion Susan West of Tuscaloosa, AL in the semifinals late Thursday. Nunn made her way to the final via a 2&1 semifinal win over reigning WSGA Senior Champion, Anna Schultz of Heath, TX.
The winner, who shot a 79 in Monday’s qualifying round, came in as the #5 seed. Nunn, the youngest competitor in the Mid-Amateur field, shot 77, which gave her the #2 seed.
Hiestand opened match play with a 9&7 win over local player Diane Sandoval. She then defeated Carol Davies 3&1 and Carolyn Creekmore 6&5 before taking on West in the semifinals.
Nunn drew a bye in the opening round and then defeated Mimi Hoffman 5&4 in the second round of match play. She defeated Julie Harrison of Baton Rouge, LA 2&1 in the quarterfinals.
Jirapon Carlson of Macon, GA came back from an opening round loss to Nancy Beck of Dallas, TX 7&5 to move through the Mid-Amateur Consolation bracket and claim that title. Carlson defeated Leslie Henry of Dallas 4&2 in the championship match Friday morning.
Carlson recorded wins over Laura DeCillis 8&6, Becky Mitchell 3&2 and Julie Robichaux 1 up en route to the title match. Henry, who moved to the consolation side following a 3&2 loss to Connie Bousquet of Mandeville, LA in her opener, then got a second round bye. Her wins came over Evelyn Blackmon 1up and Melissa Gotfredson 7&6.
Medalist honors in the Mid-Amateur went to Susan Temple of Vero Beach, FL. Temple shot a 76 in the qualifier to earn the top seed. The 2.4 handicapper plays out of Quail Valley Golf Club.