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Streit Highlights 2003 USGA Championships
December 29, 2003
Far Hills, N.J. - At age 69, Canadian Marlene Streit played 47 holes in one day in September to win her fourth United States Golf Association title and become the oldest champion in Association history. Her remarkable victory at the USGA Senior Women's Amateur highlighted the 13 national championships conducted by the USGA in 2003.
Streit, who also won the 1956 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 1985 and 1994 Senior Women's Amateurs, needed 23 holes to defeat Nancy Fitzgerald at Barton Creek Resort & Club in Austin, Texas.
Streit took 24 holes to defeat Marianne Towersey earlier that same day in the semifinals, the longest match in the championship's history. Streit's caddie for the final match was seven-time USGA winner Carol Semple Thompson, who had been defeated in the semifinals as she attempted to win her fifth consecutive crown.
Streit was nearly two months older than the previous oldest champion, the late Lew Oehmig, who won the 1985 USGA Senior Amateur at 69.
"If anyone had said I'd win another championship after the year 2000, I wouldn't have believed it," said Streit. "I didn't think I'd ever win another national championship."
Streit joined Jack Nicklaus as the only other player to have won a USGA championship in at least four different decades. Nicklaus has won a USGA title in five different decades.
Kemp Richardson, 57, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., staged a comeback at The Virginian Golf Club in Bristol, Va., to defeat Frank Abbott in 19 holes to win his second USGA Senior Amateur title and be the only other repeat winner in 2003.
The other 11 USGA champions in 2003 were first-time winners, including 13-year-old Michelle Wie of Honolulu, Hawaii, who captured the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, 1 up, over Virada Nirapathpongporn at Ocean Hammock Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla. With her victory, Wie became the youngest winner of an adult USGA championship.
Jim Furyk had a Father's Day to remember. That's because he notched his first major in winning the U.S. Open. (USGA Photo Archives)
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Twenty-five-year-old Nathan Smith of Brookville, Pa., was the youngest winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, with a 4-up victory over Bryan Norton, who could not continue after injuring his calf muscle on the ninth hole of the anticipated 36-hole final at Wilmington (Del.) Country Club.
Nirapathpongporn again reached a USGA final in August, at the U.S. Women's Amateur at Philadelphia (Pa.) Country Club, and prevailed this time, 2 and 1, over Jane Park.
Jim Furyk celebrated his first Father's Day as a dad and rode his steady game to a three-stroke victory over Stephen Leaney at the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club in June. They were two of just four players to break par for the championship.
Hilary Lunke sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of the Monday playoff to win the U.S. Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore. She won by a stroke over Angela Stanford and by three over Kelly Robbins.
At the U.S. Senior Open, Bruce Lietzke staved off a challenge from Tom Watson to win by two strokes at historic Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
At 13, Michelle Wie became the youngest winner of an adult USGA championship. (USGA Photo Archives)
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Brant Snedeker, 22, of Nashville, Tenn., dominated Dayton Rose to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links title, 10 and 9, at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club in Galloway, N.J. Left-handed Brian Harman, 16, of Savannah, Ga., also won in convincing fashion, 5 and 4, over Jordan Cox in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.
Australian Nick Flanagan won an all-teenager final in 37 holes over Casey Wittenberg at the U.S. Amateur at perennial venue Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Korean-born Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff staged the best comeback of the year in her 1-up victory over defending champion In-Bee Park at the U.S. Girls' Junior at Brooklawn country Club in Fairfield, Conn. Wuesthoff won by coming back from a five-hole deficit with 10 holes remaining.
Thirty-four-year-old Amber Marsh of Jamestown, N.C., closed out the year with a 3-and-2 decision over Shannon Ogg to win the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C.
In September, Tennessee, with three USGA champions - Danny Green, Tim Jackson and Snedeker, won the USGA Men's State Team title at Charles River Country Club in Newton Centre, Mass. Meanwhile, Ohio, led by USA Curtis Cupper Emily Bastel, took the USGA Women's State Team crown at nearby Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club.
U.S. Open
Jim Furyk - 272 (-8), by three over Stephen Leaney
Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Ill. - June 12-15
U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links
Michelle Wie def. Virada Nirapathpongorn, 1 up
Ocean Hammock Golf Club, Palm Coast, Fla. - June 17-22
U.S. Senior Open
Bruce Lietzke - 277 (-7), by two over Tom Watson
Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio - June 26-29
U.S. Women's Open
Hilary Lunke - 283 (-1) 70, by one in a playoff over Angela Stanford (283, 71) and Kelly Robbins (283, 73)
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, North Plains, Ore. - July 3-6
U.S. Amateur Public Links
Brant Snedeker def. Dayton Rose, 10 and 9
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club (East Course), Galloway, N.J. - July 14-19
U.S. Girls' Junior
Sukjin-Lee Wuestoff def. In-Bee Park, 1 up
Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield, Conn. - July 21-26
U.S. Junior Amateur
Brian Harman def. Jordan Cox, 5 and 4
Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md. - July 21-26
U.S. Women's Amateur
Virada Nirapathongporn def. Jane Park, 2 and 1
Philadelphia Country Club, Gladwyne, Pa. - Aug. 4-10
U.S. Amateur
Nick Flanagan def. Casey Wittenberg, 37 holes
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa. - Aug. 18-24
Walker Cup Match
Great Britain and Ireland def. USA, 12 ½-11 ½
Ganton Golf Club, North Yorkshire, England - Sept. 6-7
USGA Senior Amateur
Kemp Richardson def. Frank Abbott, 19 holes
The Virginian Golf Club, Bristol, Va. - Sept. 6-11
USGA Senior Women's Amateur
Marlene Streit def. Nancy Fitzgerald, 23 holes
Barton Creek Resort & Club, Austin, Texas - Sept. 6-11
USGA Women's State Team
Ohio - 447 (+9) by four over North Carolina
Wellesley Country Club, Wellesley Hills, Mass. - Sept. 16-18
USGA Men's State Team
Tennessee - 413 (-7) by four over California and North Carolina
Charles River Country Club, Newton Centre, Mass. - Sept. 16-18
U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur
Amber Marsh def. Sharon Ogg, 3 and 2
Long Cove Club, Hilton Head S.C. - Oct. 11-16
U.S. Mid-Amateur
Nathan Smith def. Bryan Norton, 4 up (injury default)
Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Del. - Oct. 11-16
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org
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