Wichita, Kan. – Ellen Port, 49, of St. Louis, earned medalist honors Sunday at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Wichita Country Club.
Port, a three-time winner of this championship, shot a 1-over-par 73 on the 6,209-yard, par-72 layout in her second round of stroke-play qualifying for a two-day total of 146. Port finished one stroke ahead of two-time champion Meghan Stasi, 32, of Oakland Park, Fla., and 28-year-old Katy Treadwell of Oklahoma City, Okla., and four ahead of Canada’s Patti Hogeboom, 26, and 27-year-old Carol Robertson of Virginia Beach, Va., who were tied at 150.
First-round leader Alexandra Casi, 26, of East Palestine, Ohio, followed an even-par 72 with an 84 Sunday. Defending champion Martha Leach, 48, of Hebron, Ky., shot 85-78 and failed to qualify for match play. A nine-for-six-spots playoff was reduced to six-for-five spots; play was suspended due to darkness and the playoff will resume at 8 a.m. CDT. The first round of match play is scheduled to start at 8:15 a.m.
As it turned out, it was a record-breaking performance by the affable Port, who only plays in four tournaments a year. She set a mark for most times as medalist, with four, breaking a tie with Carol Semple Thompson.
Being a USGA medalist never gets old for Port, a teacher and coach at John Burroughs High School in St. Louis who is tied with Sarah LeBrun Ingram with three titles each in the championship.
I love those medals, said Port, who has won 48 matches in the championship, second only to Semple Thompson’s 56. The USGA medals are so pretty.
She refuses to believe that, as the medalist, she’s a walking bull’s-eye.
No, no, no, she said. I think it’s whoever plays the best golf. … My thinking is that I just wipe the slate clean.
Incidentally, the last player to earn medalist honors and win in the same year was Port, in 2000. And only two times in the history of the championship has a player been the medalist and won in the same year.
With temperatures dropping 20-plus degrees from Saturday, Port was one of many players trying to stay warm with ski caps while navigating the William H. Diddel design. Port’s second round was a virtual carbon copy of the first. Yet there were two statistics that pleased her most: she never had a three-putt over the two days and recorded five one-putts Sunday.
If you would have told me – you have got to be kidding – that I would have no three-putts, I would have laughed and taken it, said Port, who also never put her ball in any bunkers over the two days.
Even more impressive, Port rarely put herself in position where she had to make any long birdie putts. Of the three she carded in the second round, all were 8 feet or closer to the hole. She indicated that in the first round she had no birdie attempts that were longer than 12 feet.
By the mid-afternoon, the temperature had risen to 71 degrees, but the late wave of players had to contend with an air show at McConnell Air Force Base that made the skies crackle. Competitors would stop playing and watch in awe as planes swooped in low.
I like watching them because it takes my mind off the focus on the course, said Treadwell with a laugh.
Treadwell carded three birdies that helped improve her score by three strokes from Saturday.
I didn’t make any long putts [Sunday], she said. I made a couple from 5 and 6 feet that I wasn’t making yesterday.
Speaking of work on the greens, Robertson (4-over 76) intimated that the championship will come down to putting. She learned that the hard way when she bogeyed the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th holes. Robertson played 21 holes on Sunday because of a two-hour delay due to inclement weather Saturday.
There are lots of birdies to be had, said Robertson, who had six bogeys in the second round. If you’re hitting fairways, there is a great chance for birdies.
Hogeboom shot 2-over 74 thanks in large part to 14 pars. For the Kingston, Ontario, native, the cool weather wasn’t a factor.
You adapt, she said of growing up playing golf in Canada. It doesn’t stay hot there for very long.
On Monday, the first round of match play featuring the top 64 players will take place. The second and third rounds will be played on Tuesday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals Wednesday. The 18-hole final is scheduled for Thursday.
The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Story written by Ken Klavon, web editor for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.
Results
Wichita, Kan. – The following are results from the second round of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur stroke-play qualifying, which is being held at the 6,209-yard par-72 Wichita Country Club course. Play was suspended after a nine-for-six spots playoff was reduced to six-for-five places.
*denotes in playoff
**denotes in playoff but failed to advance
*#denotes in playoff and moved into match play
Ellen Port, St Louis, Mo. - 73-73--146
Katy Treadwell, Oklahoma City, Okla. - 75-72--147
Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Fla. - 73-74--147
Patti Hogeboom, Canada - 76-74--150
Carol Robertson, Virginia Beach, Va. - 74-76--150
Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C. - 77-74--151
Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas - 78-73--151
Jennifer Lucas, Knoxville, Tenn. - 74-77--151
Tobi Herron, Columbus, Ind. - 79-72--151
Holly Bare, Clovis, Calif. - 78-74--152
Laura Coble, Augusta, Ga. - 79-73--152
Erica Pressley, Selma, Texas - 80-72--152
Kelly Wilson, Cameron Park, Calif. - 74-78--152
Kerry Postillion, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 76-77--153
Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham, Ala. - 79-74--153
Robin Burke, Houston, Texas - 76-77--153
Mina Hardin, Ft Worth, Texas - 78-76--154
Debbie Adams, Asheville, N.C. - 77-77--154
Leigh Klasse, St Anthony, Minn. - 77-77--154
Meredith Chiampa, New York, N.Y. - 76-78--154
Martha Linscott, Kansas City, Mo. - 75-79--154
Lynne Cowan, Davis, Calif. - 79-75--154
Noreen Mohler, Bethlehem, Pa. - 76-79--155
Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, Calif. - 81-74--155
Karen Garcia, Cool, Calif. - 76-79--155
Sherry Herman, Farmingdale, N.J. - 80-75--155
Dawn Woodard, Greer, S.C. - 75-80--155
Alexandra Casi, East Palestine, Ohio - 72-84--156
Sydney Wells, Menominee, Mich. - 76-80--156
Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas - 75-81--156
Lea Venable, Simpsonville, S.C. - 75-81--156
Tara Joy-Connelly, Pembroke, Mass. - 77-79--156
Sharon Park, Irvine, Calif. - 77-80--157
Mimi Hoffman, Alexandria, Va. - 78-79--157
Tanis Hastmann, Canada - 74-83--157
Lisa McGill, Philadelphia, Pa. - 77-80--157
Julie Streng, Greensboro, N.C. - 81-76--157
Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Md. - 78-79--157
Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka - 79-78--157
Wendi Golden, Bradenton, Fla. - 80-78--158
Pamela Kuong, Wellesley Hills, Mass. - 73-85--158
Kim Eaton, Greeley, Colo. - 80-78--158
Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif. - 81-77--158
Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla. - 80-78--158
Candus Herrera, Apple Valley, Calif. - 78-80--158
Tanya Olson, Naperville, Ill. - 81-78--159
Brenda Kuehn, Asheville, N.C. - 81-78--159
Michelle Griffith, Lagrange, Ga. - 85-74--159
Kay Daniel, Covington, La. - 80-79--159
Brooke Williams, Fort Worth, Texas - 82-77--159
Leslie Folsom, Seattle, Wash. - 75-84--159
Janet Moore, Greenwood Village, Colo. - 78-81--159
Diane Irvin, Pacific Palisades, Calif. - 82-77--159
Susan West, Tuscaloosa, Ala. - 84-76--160
Akemi Khaiat, Japan - 78-82--160
Linda Jeffery, Abilene, Texas - 81-80--161
Abbey Reif-Hornsby, Springboro, Ohio - 80-81--161
Shirley Trier, Hartville, Ohio - 80-81--161
*#Diane Lang, Jamaica - 81-81--162
*Stacey Arnold, Westminster, Colo. - 84-78--162
*Joan Higgins, Glendora, Calif. - 80-82--162
*Shannon Hare-Rouillard, Bernardsville, N.J. - 77-85--162
*Lea Anne Brown, Mt Pleasant, S.C. - 84-78--162
*Samantha Bartron, Boulder, Colo. - 81-81--162
*Amber Marsh Elliott, Greensboro, N.C. - 82-80--162
Failed To Qualify
**Judy Miller, Tucson, Ariz. - 79-83--162
**Brenda Pictor, Marietta, Ga. - 83-79--162
Lacy Shelton, Overland Park, Kan. - 84-79--163
Martha Leach, Hebron, Ky. - 85-78--163
Sasha Adams, Portland, Ore. - 79-84--163
Julie Carmichael, Indianapolis, Ind. - 84-79--163
Jennifer Lochhead, Canada - 80-83--163
Mary Kay Thanos-Zordani, Chicago, Ill. - 81-82--163
Alicia A Kapheim, Pennington, N.J. - 84-79--163
Tanna Richard, Fort Smith, Ark. - 80-84--164
Claudia Pilot, Austin, Minn. - 80-84--164
Lynn Simmons, Phoenix, Ariz. - 83-82--165
Rebecca Thomas, Wichita, Kan. - 83-82--165
Shannon Lutynski, Castle Rock, Colo. - 83-82--165
Shannon Ogg, Alexandria, Va. - 83-82--165
Kathy Kurata, Pasadena, Calif. - 83-83--166
Christie Austin, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. - 84-83--167
Jennifer Delgadillo, El Paso, Texas - 86-81--167
Corina Cetateanu, New York, N.Y. - 82-85--167
Carol Martin, Irving, Texas - 84-83--167
Julie Oxendine, Russellville, Ark. - 86-81--167
Adrienne Gill, Jersey City, N.J. - 85-82--167
Kareen Markle, Meridian, Idaho - 83-84--167
Kim Keyer-Scott, Bonita Springs, Fla. - 85-82--167
Frannie Avila, Santa Barbara, Calif. - 84-83--167
Alexandra Frazier, Haverford, Pa. - 83-85--168
Camille Clay, Austin, Texas - 82-86--168
Lisa Walker, Vista, Calif. - 81-87--168
Thidarat Suangtho, Thailand - 83-85--168
Daria Cummings, Monroe, Conn. - 87-82--169
Frances Gacos, Flemington, N.J. - 82-87--169
Janice Roberts Wilson, Dade City, Fla. - 81-88--169
Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah - 87-82--169
Jennie Robinson, La Quinta, Calif. - 90-79--169
Debra Mielke, Mckinney, Texas - 85-84--169
Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif. - 87-82--169
Robin Donnelley, Palm Beach, Fla. - 85-84--169
Marlene Summers, Montgomery, Texas - 80-90--170
Cynthia Friend, Lexington, Mass. - 88-82--170
Karla Murra, Sioux Falls, S.D. - 87-84--171
Deborah Jamgochian, Greenwich, Conn. - 87-84--171
Debbie Johnson, Stamford, Conn. - 87-84--171
Andrea Kraus, Baltimore, Md. - 88-83--171
Marianne Towersey, Pebble Beach, Calif. - 84-88--172
Julie Massa, Holt, Mich. - 82-90--172
Teresa Cleland, Syracuse, N.Y. - 89-83--172
Susan Rheney, Greensboro, Ga. - 87-85--172
Corrie Tayman, Bethesda, Md. - 86-87--173
Sherry Smith, Irvine, Calif. - 88-86--174
Jewell Malick, Rockwall, Texas - 90-84--174
Natalie McNicholas, Naples, Fla. - 87-87--174
Maggie Leef, Brookfield, Wis. - 85-89--174
Linda Weinstein, Northbrook, Ill. - 82-93--175
Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz. - 86-89--175
Kathy Glennon, St Albans, Mo. - 80-95--175
Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn. - 85-92--177
Rosalie Kubesheski, Dubuque, Iowa - 85-92--177
Kelly Loeb, Tucson, Ariz. - 89-89--178
Christina Steffen, Amelia Island, Fla. - 89-89--178
Olivia Slutzky, Newport Beach, Calif. - 89-89--178
Suzanne Kenkel, Dallas, Texas - 89-90--179
Phara Blair, Tualatin, Ore. - 89-90--179
Lenore Martinez, Kensington, Md. - 87-94--181
Karla M Sauerwein, O'Fallon, Mo. - 93-93--186
Martha Redfearn, Newport Beach, Calif. - 89-97--186
Debra Myers, Seattle, Wash. - 99-89--188
Geri Deville, La Habra, Calif. - 96-94--190