Last Year's Runner-up, Ogg, Only Player To Card Under-Par Round

Knoxville, Tenn. - Twenty-seven-year-old Shannon Ogg of Seattle, Wash., held the overall lead after the first round of stroke play Friday at the 18th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, being held at Holston Hills Country Club.

The runner-up in last year's championship, Ogg shot a 1-under-par 71 on a balmy, sun-drenched day. Marilyn Hardy, 42, of Houston, Texas, and 26-year-old Tobi Probst of Pensacola, Fla., were two strokes off the pace with 1-over 73s.

Leigh Klasse, 44, of St. Anthony, Minn., and Susan Marchese, 43, of Omaha, Neb., followed with 2-over 74s.

Six players -- 31-year-old Shelley Anderson of Clarksville, Tenn.; Pat Milton, 51, of Munroe Falls, Ohio; 47-year-old Claudia Pilot of Austin, Minn.; three-time champion Ellen Port of St. Louis, Mo.; 28-year-old Thuhashini Selvaratnam of Temp, Ariz.; and two-time winner Carol Semple Thompson, 55, of Sewickley, Pa. - all shot 3-over 75s on the tough 6,228-yard Donald Ross layout.

A number of players posted decent scores at the turn, only to fade coming down the stretch.

One of them wasn't Ogg, who started on No. 10 and carded a 1-over 37 by the turn before reversing trend with a 2-under on her back nine. She birdied three of her final eight holes.

"A 71 on this course is as good as most of the pros would do," said Semple Thompson.

Afterward Ogg was mildly surprised to post a red number because she hasn't played much golf this summer. In April she transferred to Seattle for work and has been living out of three suitcases since.

Knowing full well there's a lot of golf left to be played, Ogg has high hopes after losing 3 and 2 to Amber Marsh Elliott, 35, of Greensboro, N.C., in last year's final at Long Cove Club.

"That would be the best of all worlds if I could improve on that," said Ogg of finishing runner-up. "I was ecstatic to make it that far."

Although Probst lipped five putts, the former University of Missouri player wouldn't allow herself to get dismayed. After all, the contract worker who claimed she was "burned out" on golf after college hasn't worked this summer so she could rekindle the passion. This year she's gone as far as the quarterfinals in the Western Amateur and The Southern Amateur.

Last year she lost to Marsh Elliott in the first round, 2 and 1.

"I have a completely different attitude toward golf now," she said. "To play it now is different from college. I feel really relaxed."

Hardy, a semifinalist in the inaugural Mid-Amateur in 1987, had a morning tee time and righted the ship with a 1-under 35 on the back nine. Back-to-back birdies on No. 13 and 14 helped the cause.

Klasse, part of the winning Minnesota squad at the 2001 Women's State Team Championship, chalked up her round to solid course management skills. Lugging her own bag, she claimed she's a better player now than she played for the University of Minnesota in the early 1980s. Her round was bolstered by three straight birdies on 15, 16 and 17.

The victory in 2001 proved to herself that she can do well in individual competitions.

"You get to a confidence level that you can compete in a national championship," she said.

For Semple Thompson, the seven-time USGA champion probably has all the confidence she needs. A strong short-iron game and registering 10 one-putts left her satisfied with a 75. The main objective, she said, is to simply make match play.

"Another 75 and I'll be fine," she said.

Marsh Elliott seemed fine with her 5-over 77. A double bogey on No. 3, followed by back-to-back bogeys on 4 and 5 had her reeling a bit.

The main thing was that there no wrecks, she said. Being the champion shouldn't be an issue either.

"There aren't any concessions made to me because I'm the champion," she said. "It's not like I have an advantage on the field."

The second round of stroke play will be Saturday, where the field will but cut to the top 64. The first round of match play will be played Sunday, the second and third rounds on Monday, and quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on Tuesday. The 18-hole final will be contested on Wednesday.

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.

Story written by Ken Klavon, USGA Web Editor. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.

Results

Knoxville, Tenn. - Results after the first round of stroke play Friday at the 2004 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at the 6,228-yard, par 72 Holston Hills Country Club:

Shannon Ogg, Seattle, Wash., 34-37--71

Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas, 38-35--73

Tobi Probst, Pensacola, Fla., 38-35--73

Leigh Klasse, St Anthony, Minn., 39-35--74

Susan Marchese, Omaha, Neb., 37-37--74

Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley, Pa., 38-37--75

Claudia Pilot, Austin, Minn., 38-37--75

Ellen Port, St Louis, Mo., 35-40--75

Pat Milton, Akron, Ohio, 36-39--75

Shelley Anderson, Clarksville, Tenn., 37-38--75

Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka, 35-40--75

Akemi Khaiat, Huntington Beach, Calif., 36-40--76

Kerry Postillion, Burr Ridge, Ill., 37-39--76

Lee Ann Fairlie, Oklahoma City, Okla., 36-40--76

Sherry Herman, Marlboro, N.J., 38-38--76

Amber Marsh Elliott, Greensboro, N.C., 40-37--77

Cecilia Fournil, Columbia, S.C., 40-37--77

Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, Calif., 40-37--77

Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham, Ala., 39-38--77

Lea Bagwell-Venable, Greenville, S.C., 41-36--77

Leslie Green, The Woodlands, Texas, 36-41--77

Natalie McNicholas, Tulsa, Okla., 40-37--77

Susan Roh, Denver, Colo., 41-36--77

Dawn Woodard, Cartersville, Ga., 39-39--78

Debbie Adams, Biltmore Forest, N.C., 38-40--78

Joan Garety, Rockford, Mich., 38-40--78

Kathy Crumley, Dallas, Texas, 40-38--78

Martha Leach, Hebron, Ky., 39-39--78

Andrea Kraus, Baltimore, Md., 40-39--79

Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa., 41-38--79

Jessica Soltes, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 39-40--79

Julie Carmichael, Indianapolis, Ind., 40-39--79

Julie Garner, Winter Park, Fla., 40-39--79

Laura Coble, Augusta, Ga., 37-42--79

Maggie Leef, Brookfield, Wis., 40-39--79

Marci Kornegay, Columbia, S.C., 41-38--79

Marianne Towersey, Newport Beach, Calif., 40-39--79

Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif., 41-38--79

Sandra Nakagaki, Culver, Calif., 39-40--79

Sandy Prisby, Hinsdale, Ill., 39-40--79

Virginia Grimes, Montgomery, Ala., 38-41--79

Donna Young, Ewing, N.J., 39-41--80

Kareen Markle, Boise, Idaho, 41-39--80

Kate Grace, San Diego, Calif., 40-40--80

Lisa De Simone, Carmel, Calif., 38-42--80

Louella Kanew, Los Angeles, Calif., 40-40--80

Martha Lang, Mandeville, La., 41-39--80

Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif., 42-38--80

Sally Krueger, San Francisco, Calif., 38-42--80

Sandy Jocoy, Agoura, Calif., 43-37--80

Sarah Phillips-Durst, Tallahassee, Fla., 41-39--80

Toni Wiesner, Ft. Worth, Texas, 39-41--80

Alicia Kapheim, Pennington, N.J., 40-41--81

Brooke Cooper, New York, N.Y., 41-40--81

Ivy Steinberg, Canada, 38-43--81

Jana Jacob, Upper Arlington, Ohio, 40-41--81

Lisa Anderson, Stoneham, Mass., 37-44--81

Lynn Simmons, Phoenix, Ariz., 39-42--81

Maricel Manguinao, Philipines, 40-41--81

Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla., 41-40--81

Mina Hardin, Ft. Worth, Texas, 40-41--81

Susan Romano, Chesterland, Ohio, 40-41--81

Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla., 42-39--81

Allisyn Terry, Leesburg, Va., 38-44--82

Ann Lahey, Kentfield, Calif., 40-42--82

Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn., 40-42--82

Camille Clay, Austin, Texas, 43-39--82

Char McLear, Mchenry, Ill., 42-40--82

Charlotte Grant, Greensboro, Ga., 41-41--82

Colette Rosenberg, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 42-40--82

Daria Cummings, Monroe, Conn., 40-42--82

Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 40-42--82

Desiree Ting, Wailuku, Hawaii, 42-40--82

Gail Flanagan, Rye, N.Y., 41-41--82

Karen Brannon, Poway, Calif., 41-41--82

Kay Daniel, Mandeville, La., 40-42--82

Lecia Alexander, Stafford, Texas, 40-42--82

Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Md., 40-42--82

Lyn Nelson, Half Moon Bay, Calif., 38-44--82

Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C., 40-42--82

Rhonda Ferguson, Orange Park, Fla., 43-39--82

Rita Gregory, Manhattan, Kan., 43-39--82

Shawn McCullough, Alexandria, Va., 40-42--82

Sue Gilstrap, Carlsbad, Calif., 39-43--82

Tiffany Priest, Whispering Pines, N.C., 44-38--82

Anna Schultz, Richardson, Texas, 45-38--83

Dianne Yelovich, Pinehurst, N.C., 39-44--83

Donna Mummert, Lebanon, N.J., 42-41--83

Doris Herren, Cave Springs, Ark., 40-43--83

Julie Massa, Holt, Mich., 44-39--83

Karen Mabli, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., 42-41--83

Kathy Glennon, St Albans, Mo., 39-44--83

Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif., 43-40--83

Sandra Jackson, New York, N.Y., 40-43--83

Tami Green, Hamilton, Ala., 42-41--83

Caroline Rupp, Muttontown, N.Y., 42-42--84

Jamie Hoffmann, Escondido, Calif., 42-42--84

Lee Ann Lewis, Great River, N.Y., 40-44--84

Leslie Folsom, Renton, Wash., 43-41--84

Maggie Weder, Greenville, N.C., 39-45--84

Nancy Fitzgerald, Indianapolis, Ind., 43-41--84

Sandy Scitti, Baltimore, Md., 41-43--84

Valarie Ogawa, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., 39-45--84

Beth Williams, Atlanta, Ga., 42-43--85

Christine Geer, Minneapolis, Minn., 41-44--85

Karen Bouloucon, West Milford, N.J., 38-47--85

Maria Sera, St Paul, Minn., 41-44--85

Sharyn Costello, Lansing, N.Y., 44-41--85

Sydney Moore, Menominee, Mich., 43-42--85

Terri McAngus, Swansea, Ill., 41-44--85

Tina Barker, Castro Valley, Calif., 44-41--85

Tina Jones, St Louis, Mo., 42-43--85

Alison Hurley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 46-40--86

Amy Tolton, York, Pa., 44-42--86

Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah, 45-41--86

Diane Henry, Richmond, Texas, 42-44--86

Dot Bolling, Salem, Va., 42-44--86

Lisa Baxter Cobler, Livermore, Calif., 43-43--86

Lynn Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., 41-45--86

Tori Fishburn, Ogden, Utah, 40-46--86

Robin W Donnelley, Lake Forest, Ill., 42-45--87

Amy Drake, Arlington, Texas, 41-47--88

Helen Stovell, Fairfield, Conn., 45-43--88

Shelley Mayer, San Marcos, Calif., 43-45--88

Donna Marden, Tucson, Ariz., 47-42--89

Sandra Macpherson, Lakeside, Calif., 45-44--89

Kim Briele, New Bern, N.C., 44-48--92

Mary Riddell, Springfield, Va., 46-46--92

Leslie Henry, Ennis, Texas, 44-49--93

Cindy Ball, Carrollton, Texas, 49-46--95

Susan Godvin, Dallas, Texas, 45-50--95

Emily Hess, Newton, Mass., 47-53--100