Fort Myers, Fla. – Scores were generally high among the first wave of players Saturday in stroke-play qualifying for the 2010 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at the 5,862-yard, par-72 Fiddlesticks Country Club.
The Long Mean Course lived up to its name, taking a toll among even the most seasoned competitors. The four leading players after the morning wave are all USGA champions, but none matched par.
Joan Higgins, 54, of Glendora, Calif., 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, led early finishers with a 1-over-par 73. Mary Ann Hayward and Sherry Herman, both past USGA champions, shot 74. Diane Lang, a three-time Women’s Senior Amateur champion, fired a 75.
I didn’t swing great, but I put myself in the right spot and I made the putts, Higgins said.
Fiddlesticks’ large rolling greens took an immediate toll. On No. 2, putting from above the hole, Higgins sailed her first putt 20 feet past the flagstick and then three-putted for a bogey. Birdies on the 4th and 9th holes, from 8 feet and 15 feet, respectively, settled her down.
I think the course played fair, Higgins said. If you’re putting well, you can make some putts here.
Players at 74 included Hayward, 50, of Canada, who won the 2005 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur as Mary Ann LaPointe, and defending Senior Women’s Amateur champion Sherry Herman, 51, of Farmingdale, N.J. Despite her relatively good score, Herman crippled in with a double-bogey on the finishing hole.
Herman made a 7 on the 462-yard 18th hole, a par 5 featuring an island green, despite the fact that her ball never got wet.
I had 185 yards for my second shot, Herman said. If I go for it, what’s the worst I could make, a bogey? Even if I hit it in the water. So what do I do? I’m thinking, 'I have a good round going, it’s qualifying, and I need to be conservative.' So I laid up and made a double-bogey anyway. Whew!
After Herman laid up short of the water on her second shot, she hit her 96-yard third shot fat and found a greenside bunker. Herman then bladed her bunker shot over the green into another bunker, blasted onto the green and two-putted for 74.
Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do on number 18 tomorrow, Herman said.
Lang won the Senior Women’s Amateur in 2005, 2006 and 2008. After a front-nine score of 38, Lang went two-under-par on the last four holes with birdies on the 15th and 18th holes to finish at 75.
Rhonda Glenn is a Manager of Communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.
Results
Stroke-play qualifying in the Senior Women’s Amateur continues on Sunday with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. The championship concludes with an 18-hole final on Thursday.
Fort Myers, Fla. – Early results of stroke-play qualifying at the 2010 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at the 5,862-yard, par-72 Long Mean course at Fiddlesticks Country Club.
Joan Higgins, Glendora, Calif. - 36-37--73
Sherry Herman, Farmingdale, N.J. - 37-37--74
Mary Ann Hayward, Canada - 37-37--74
Diane Lang, Jamaica - 38-37--75
Mimi Hoffman, Alexandria, Va. - 40-37--77
Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif. - 36-42--78
Nadine Elliott, Bermuda Dunes, Calif. - 37-41--78
Tanna Richard, Fort Smith, Ark. - 37-41--78
Genevieve Robinson, La Quinta, Calif. - 40-38--78
Marlene Summers, Montgomery, Texas - 39-39--78
Sandy Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif. - 41-38--79
Diane Bohl, Kissimmee, Fla. - 40-39--79
Susan Rheney, Greensboro, Ga. - 39-40--79
Maureen Whitehead, Charlevoix, Mich. - 40-39--79
Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla. - 37-42--79
Cheryl Grigg, Sea Island, Ga. - 42-38--80
Peg Brady, Charlotte, N.C. - 43-37--80
Lou Hart, Meridian, Miss. - 40-40--80
Mitsue Lewis, San Diego, Calif. - 41-39--80
Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn. - 41-40--81
Judy Miller, Tucson, Ariz. - 41-40--81
Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif. - 40-41--81
Joanne Kitusky, Glen Allen, Va. - 41-41--82
Janie Carpenter, Garland, Texas - 42-40--82
Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Fla. - 42-40--82
Alexandra Frazier, Haverford, Pa. - 42-40--82
Ginny Marshall, Canada - 41-42--83
Noreen Mohler, Bethlehem, Pa. - 43-41--84
Leilani Norman, Eugene, Ore. - 43-41--84
Nancy Fitzgerald, Carmel, Ind. - 42-42--84
Char McLear, Mchenry, Ill. - 41-43--84
Dana Harrity, N Hampton, N.H. - 41-43--84
Patricia Robinson, Poplar Bluff, Mo. - 46-39--85
Ann Swanson, Seattle, Wash. - 43-42--85
Ivy Steinberg, Canada - 46-39--85
Lindsay Wortham, Richmond, Va. - 43-42--85
Amy Dickison, Rowley, Mass. - 41-44--85
Sisi Hedges, Mulberry, Fla. - 43-43--86
Nancy Kromar, Austin, Texas - 44-42--86
Vicki Thomas, Wales - 46-40--86
Catherine Richey, Winter Park, Fla. - 42-44--86
Marianne Springer, Wellington, Fla. - 46-40--86
Danna King, Coto De Caza, Calif. - 44-43--87
Mary S Smith, Sheridan, Wyo. - 42-45--87
Sheila Dagucon, Sonoita, Ariz. - 46-41--87
Christie Austin, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. - 45-42--87
Maureen Sheehan, Grayslake, Ill. - 43-45--88
Rebecca Montgelas, Darien, Conn. - 42-46--88
Patsy Ehret, Stuart, Fla. - 45-44--89
Leslie Wilk, Agoura Hills, Calif. - 47-42--89
Leslie Henry, Dallas, Texas - 44-45--89
Rae Higdon, Boonville, Ind. - 42-47--89
Barbara Pagana, Selinsgrove, Pa. - 47-43--90
Dianne Yelovich, Pinehurst, N.C. - 48-42--90
Melanie McCaffery, Huntington Beach, Calif. - 50-41--91
Jo-Ann Lindsay, Edina, Minn. - 46-45--91
Margaret Brady, Washington, D.C. - 47-45--92
Lindsey Noble, Fort Myers, Fla. - 50-44--94
Sharon Hoffman, Lawrence, N.Y. - 46-48--94
Keiko Kushida, Dundee, Ill. - 48-46--94
Lynn Keefe, Coppell, Texas - 48-46--94
Diane Barber, Burbank, Calif. - 52-43--95
Patty Lang, Saegertown, Pa. - 53-44--97
Kathie Stevens, Milton, Mass. - 54-44--98
Judy Collins, Canada - 52-46--98
Laura Risher, Issaquah, Wash. - 48-51--99