Two Texans Tied for Lead after Round 1 at 36th WSGA Senior Amateur Championship

Gulf Shores, Ala. The first round of the 36th annual Women’s Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship began Monday at 1:00 p.m. after play was suspended for a total of 5 hours and 30 minutes due to inclement weather and dangerous conditions in the area. The course recovered exceptionally well and stood tall against some of the best senior amateurs hailing from the southern states.

Mina Hardin of Fort Worth, Texas and Marilyn Hardy of Magnolia, Texas share the first-round lead of the 36th Women’s Southern Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship after turning in a phenomenal 1-under-par 71 at Craft Farms Golf Resort’s Cypress Bend course. Hardy and Hardin, the only players to finish under par, hold a one-shot lead over three others heading into Tuesday’s round.

In Contention

A stout field of experienced players are chasing the two Texans including Alabama native Kathy Hartwiger who sits tied for second. Hartwiger put together a strong round of even-par 72 to begin her charge for victory.

Also sitting tied for second are Kim Keyer-Scott of Estero, Florida and Gigi Higgins of Cape Coral, Florida. They will begin Tuesday one shot back of Hardy and Hardin after carding rounds of even-par 72 on the classic links-style course.

Jayne Pardus of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Kimbra Benson of Leonardtown, Maryland sit tied sixth after carding rounds of 1-over-par 73.

This is the second Women’s Southern Golf Associations Senior Amateur Championship contested at Craft Farms Golf Resort, having played host to the 33rd annual championship in 2019. Among the eight past champions in the field looking to add their name to the Katharine Graham trophy for an additional time.

Golf Course

A perfect complement to its big sister, Cotton Creek, Cypress Bend has a coastal feel as it traverses a unique system of cord-grass accented lakes which come into play on nearly every hole. The Arnold Palmer-design offers 18 holes of spectacular golf, featuring staggered tee boxes, large undulating greens, sprawling bunkers and year-round lush and green conditions. The first round of the WSGA Senior Championship was played from 5903 yards in the Championship Division and 5366 yards in the Tournament Division.

The second round of the WSGA Senior Amateur Championship starts Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. For more information, click here.

 

36th Women’s Southern Senior Amateur Championship
October 4, 2021
Craft Farms Golf Resort – Cypress Bend
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Round 1 Results
Par 72
Championship Yardage: 5,903
Tournament Yardage: 5,366