Port One Win Away From Fourth U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Title

Eugene, Ore. – Ellen Port, 41, of St. Louis, Mo., is one victory away from taking home her fourth U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur trophy. A three-time champion, Port defeated Lisa Desimone, 29, of Carmel, Calif., in her semifinal match Wednesday at Eugene Country Club.

Port won with a birdie on the fourth extra hole (22nd hole overall) and now faces Kathy Hartwiger, 36, of Birmingham, Ala., in an 18-hole final Thursday. Port’s past titles came in 1995, 1996 and 2000. She lost her third round match a year ago.

Hartwiger, a three-time state champion who works part-time for the United States Golf Association, the organization conducting the championship, won three of the first four holes and built a 5-up lead before closing out Lyn Nelson, 43, of Half Moon Bay, Calif., 7 and 5.

Port, who is the mother of two children under the age of 6, was not so quick in wrapping things up. She struggled before taking the lead on the 13th hole, gave it back on the 18th, and then stuck her approach shot to 2 feet on the fourth extra hole and tapped in for birdie and the win.

“I am so glad I put that really close,” said Port, a high school teacher and field hockey coach, and recent winner of her state Amateur, which she has now won five times. “Neither one of us played our best. It was an endurance test.

“I feel like I’m a better player now than when I won my other three. I knew I could get to the final, but you try not to think about it. So many things have to go your way.”

Port, who has not lost a final match, is trying to surpass Sarah LeBrun-Ingram of Louisville, Ky., who won three times – 1991, 1993 and 1994. This is the 16th Mid-Amateur, a championship for women age 25 and older.

Hartwiger, the mother of two children under the age of 4, has handily won four of her five matches.

Hartwiger had a chip-in for eagle on the 8th hole.

“Whatever happens, I’ve done great,” said Hartwiger, who reached the quarterfinals twice previously (1996 and 1998). “I don’t think I can play any better than I did today. It was just my day as long as I didn’t get in my own way. I was a bit shaky in my qualifying rounds, but I have been playing better with each day.”

Hartwiger had defeated Susan Romano of Chesterland, Ohio, in her quarterfinal match Wednesday morning, 5 and 3. Port edged Toni Wiesner of Ft. Worth, Texas, in her quarterfinal, 1 up.

The Women’s Mid-Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Results
Eugene, Ore. – Results of Wednesday’s quarterfinal round of match play at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, played at the 6,159-yard, par 72 Eugene Country Club:

Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham, Ala. (160) def. Susan Romano, Chesterland, Ohio (157), 5 and 3.
Lyn Nelson, Half Moon Bay, Calif. (160) dedf. Mina Hardin, Ft. Worth, Texas (151), 20 holes
Lisa Desimone, Carmel, Calif. (160) def. Sally Krueger, Coronado, Calif. (154), 2 and 1.
Ellen Port, St. Louis, Mo. (150) def. Toni Wiesner, Ft. Worth, Texas (159), 1 up.

Semifinal Round
Hartwiger def. Nelson, 7 and 5.
Port def. Desimone, 22 holes

Pairing
Eugene, Ore. – Pairing for Thursday’s 18-hole championship match at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at the 6,159-yard, par 72 Eugene Country Club (Time is PDT):

8:30 a.m. – Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham, Ala. (160) vs. Ellen Port, St. Louis, Mo. (150)