Probst's 146 Earns Top Seed

Knoxville, Tenn. - Twenty-six-year-old Tobi Probst of Pensacola, Fla., secured medalist honors Saturday with a two-day stroke play total of 2-over 146 at the 18th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

On the 6,228-yard Holston Hills Country Club course, Probst shot a 1-over-par 73 to narrowly edge 2002 champion Kathy Hartwiger, 38, of Birmingham, Ala., for the top seed heading into Sunday's first round matches. Hartwiger, the only player to register a red number in the second round, carded a 2-under 70 on another hot and sun-soaked day.

Kerry Postillion of Burr Ridge, Ill., and first-round leader Shannon Ogg, 27, of Seattle, Wash., finished at 5-over 149. Susan Marchese, 43, of Omaha, Neb., 47-year-old Claudia Pilot of Austin, Minn., and Susan Roh, 30, of Denver, Colo., posted 6-over 150s.

Defending champion Amber Marsh Elliott, 35, of Greensboro, N.C., easily moved on with a 10-over 154. And two-time champion Carol Semple Thompson, 55, of Sewickley, Pa., advanced to match play for the 18 th consecutive year, extending her own record.

Taking the summer off from work to play golf, Probst's bid to become a first-time medalist in the event began on an ominous note when she double bogeyed No. 1, a 405-yard par 4. Her ball found a bunker 40 yards short of the hole, and then she couldn't get up and down. But a birdie on the next hole got her back on track.

A vital reason why she bounced back had more to do with all the fairways and greens she struck in regulation. On Friday, she hit all her fairways. In the second round she missed two. As for greens, she missed two in the first round versus four on Saturday.

She also credited her caddie, boyfriend Matt Herron, for accurate reads on the lightning fast Donald Ross greens.

"He plays golf, too," she said. "He knows what to say and when to say it. He leaves the decisions up to me."

On No. 18, she finished strong by using a 50-degree wedge to stick her approach shot 90 yards out to a foot of the hole on the elevated green.

She hadn't thought about being the medalist until perusing the scoreboard.

"That's really exciting," said Probst.

Hartwiger made the turn at 3 under, recording four birdies. She said her putting was on the entire round.

"I try to play myself and not the other person," said Hartwiger, who beat three-time champion Ellen Port at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.

Ogg must have felt as though the course was playing her. Even par through her first eight holes, she double bogeyed No. 9. An errant shot out of a greenside bunker flew the green, forcing last year's runner-up into a two-putt situation.

"I wanted to practice my chipping," said Ogg, tongue in cheek.

She absorbed three more bogeys on the back nine.

"It would have been great to be the medalist, but I'm still happy with the position I'm in. . The tournament pretty much starts tomorrow," she said.

Roh, a former two-time All-American player at the University of Oregon is currently a third-year law school student at the University of Denver and needed to secure excused absences from her professors.

The highlight of her round came on the 291-yard, par-4 16 th where she knocked in a 7-footer above the hole to save par.

"It's really just great to be able to play golf for fun again," she said.

Perhaps the most impressive two-day score belonged to Pilot. As an alternate, she arrived Tuesday from Minnesota with little practice time. She's made it to the quarterfinals twice in the championship, so she knew she needed to post halfway decent scores to get into match play.

Furthermore, she carried her own bag in duplicating two 75s. What does it say about someone who was on the cusp of being on the outside looking in?

"It says that anything can happen," said Pilot, "and I will fight to the end. There's no give-up in me."

Marchese shot 4-over 76 on Saturday. A double bogey on the 379-yard, par-4 ninth was the only blemish on an otherwise solid round. Through 36 holes she registered just one three-putt, a key to making it into match play.

"The course is so wide open, anyone can win," said Marchese, a 1990 quarterfinalist.

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 second round of stroke play Saturday at the 2004 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at the 6,228-yard, par 72 Holston Hills Country Club:

Tobi Probst, Pensacola, Fla., 73-73--146

Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham, Ala., 77-70--147

Kerry Postillion, Burr Ridge, Ill., 76-73--149

Shannon Ogg, Seattle, Wash., 71-78--149

Claudia Pilot, Austin, Minn., 75-75--150

Susan Marchese, Omaha, Neb., 74-76--150

Susan Roh, Denver, Colo., 77-73--150

Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas, 73-78--151

Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka, 75-76--151

Cecilia Fournil, Columbia, S.C., 77-75--152

Dawn Woodard, Cartersville, Ga., 78-74--152

Joan Garety, Rockford, Mich., 78-74--152

Lisa De Simone, Carmel, Calif., 80-72--152

Kathy Crumley, Dallas, Texas, 78-75--153

Martha Leach, Hebron, Ky., 78-75--153

Sherry Herman, Marlboro, N.J., 76-77--153

Amber Marsh Elliott, Greensboro, N.C., 77-77--154

Pat Milton, Akron, Ohio, 75-79--154

Virginia Grimes, Montgomery, Ala., 79-75--154

Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, Calif., 77-78--155

Debbie Adams, Biltmore Forest, N.C., 78-77--155

Jessica Soltes, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 79-76--155

Laura Coble, Augusta, Ga., 79-76--155

Lee Ann Fairlie, Oklahoma City, Okla., 76-79--155

Leigh Klasse, St Anthony, Minn., 74-81--155

Lisa Anderson, Stoneha.m., Mass., 81-74--155

Marianne Towersey, Newport Beach, Calif., 79-76--155

Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif., 80-75--155

Andrea Kraus, Baltimore, Md., 79-77--156

Ellen Port, St Louis, Mo., 75-81--156

Gail Flanagan, Rye, N.Y., 82-74--156

Julie Carmichael, Indianapolis, Ind., 79-77--156

Maggie Leef, Brookfield, Wis., 79-77--156

Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla., 81-75--156

Sally Krueger, San Francisco, Calif., 80-76--156

Shelley Anderson, Clarksville, Tenn., 75-81--156

Toni Wiesner, Ft. Worth, Texas, 80-76--156

Sarah Phillips-Durst, Tallahassee, Fla., 80-77--157

Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn., 82-76--158

Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley, Pa., 75-83--158

Desiree Ting, Wailuku, Hawaii, 82-76--158

Sandra Nakagaki, Culver, Calif., 79-79--158

Akemi Khaiat, Huntington Beach, Calif., 76-83--159

Daria Cummings, Monroe, Conn., 82-77--159

Julie Massa, Holt, Mich., 83-76--159

Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C., 82-77--159

Susan Romano, Chesterland, Ohio, 81-78--159

Brooke Cooper, New York, N.Y., 81-79--160

Julie Garner, Winter Park, Fla., 79-81--160

Kareen Markle, Boise, Idaho, 80-80--160

Lea Bagwell-Venable, Greenville, S.C., 77-83--160

Leslie Green, The Woodlands, Texas, 77-83--160

Martha Lang, Mandeville, La., 80-80--160

Natalie McNicholas, Tulsa, Okla., 77-83--160

Alicia Kapheim, Pennington, N.J., 81-80--161

Lyn Nelson, Half Moon Bay, Calif., 82-79--161

Maricel Manguinao, Philipines, 81-80--161

Anna Schultz, Richardson, Texas, 83-79--162

Char McLear, Mchenry, Ill., 82-80--162

Kate Grace, San Diego, Calif., 80-82--162

Leslie Folsom, Renton, Wash., 84-78--162

Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif., 79-83--162

Mina Hardin, Ft. Worth, Texas, 81-81--162

Sandy Jocoy, Agoura, Calif., 80-82--162

Failed To Qualify

Amy Tolton, York, Pa., 86-77--163

Ann Lahey, Kentfield, Calif., 82-81--163

Colette Rosenberg, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 82-81--163

Donna Mummert, Lebanon, N.J., 83-80--163

Ivy Steinberg, Canada, 81-82--163

Jana Jacob, Upper Arlington, Ohio, 81-82--163

Lynn Simmons, Phoenix, Ariz., 81-82--163

Marci Kornegay, Columbia, S.C., 79-84--163

Nancy Fitzgerald, Indianapolis, Ind., 84-79--163

Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla., 81-82--163

Ca.m.ille Clay, Austin, Texas, 82-82--164

Charlotte Grant, Greensboro, Ga., 82-82--164

Kathy Glennon, St Albans, Mo., 83-81--164

Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Md., 82-82--164

Sandy Prisby, Hinsdale, Ill., 79-85--164

Valarie Ogawa, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., 84-80--164

Karen Bouloucon, West Milford, N.J., 85-80--165

Rhonda Ferguson, Orange Park, Fla., 82-83--165

Tami Green, Ha.m.ilton, Ala., 83-82--165

Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 82-84--166

Donna Young, Ewing, N.J., 80-86--166

Lecia Alexander, Stafford, Texas, 82-84--166

Sydney Moore, Menominee, Mich., 85-81--166

Tiffany Priest, Whispering Pines, N.C., 82-84--166

Allisyn Terry, Leesburg, Va., 82-85--167

Beth Williams, Atlanta, Ga., 85-82--167

Dianne Yelovich, Pinehurst, N.C., 83-84--167

Karen Mabli, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., 83-84--167

Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif., 83-84--167

Sue Gilstrap, Carlsbad, Calif., 82-85--167

Jamie Hoffmann, Escondido, Calif., 84-84--168

Kay Daniel, Mandeville, La., 82-86--168

Lisa Baxter Cobler, Livermore, Calif., 86-82--168

Maria Sera, St Paul, Minn., 85-83--168

Rita Gregory, Manhattan, Kan., 82-86--168

Robin W Donnelley, Lake Forest, Ill., 87-81--168

Sharyn Costello, Lansing, N.Y., 85-83--168

Doris Herren, Cave Springs, Ark., 83-86--169

Sandy Scitti, Baltimore, Md., 84-85--169

Caroline Rupp, Muttontown, N.Y., 84-86--170

Donna Marden, Tucson, Ariz., 89-81--170

Louella Kanew, Los Angeles, Calif., 80-90--170

Shawn McCullough, Alexandria, Va., 82-88--170

Alison Hurley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 86-85--171

Tina Barker, Castro Valley, Calif., 85-87--172

Tori Fishburn, Ogden, Utah, 86-86--172

Karen Brannon, Poway, Calif., 82-91--173

Kim Briele, New Bern, N.C., 92-81--173

Lee Ann Lewis, Great River, N.Y., 84-89--173

Maggie Weder, Greenville, N.C., 84-89--173

Christine Geer, Minneapolis, Minn., 85-89--174

Dot Bolling, Salem, Va., 86-88--174

Sandra Jackson, New York, N.Y., 83-91--174

Tina Jones, St Louis, Mo., 85-89--174

Amy Drake, Arlington, Texas, 88-87--175

Helen Stovell, Fairfield, Conn., 88-87--175

Diane Henry, Richmond, Texas, 86-90--176

Lynn Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., 86-90--176

Sandra Macpherson, Lakeside, Calif., 89-87--176

Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah, 86-91--177

Terri McAngus, Swansea, Ill., 85-92--177

Susan Godvin, Dallas, Texas, 95-83--178

Cindy Ball, Carrollton, Texas, 95-84--179

Shelley Mayer, San Marcos, Calif., 88-91--179

Mary Riddell, Springfield, Va., 92-92--184

Leslie Henry, Ennis, Texas, 93-93--186

Emily Hess, Newton, Mass., 100-93--193

Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa., 79-WD--WD

Pairings

Knoxville, Tenn. - Pairings for the first round of match play Sunday at the 2004 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at the 6,228-yard, par-72 Holston Hills Country Club course:

Round of 64

9 a.m.         Tobi Probst, Pensacola, Fla.   (146) vs. Leslie Folsom, Renton, Wash.   (162)

9:09 a.m.    Maggie Leef, Brookfield, Wis.   (156) vs. Sally Krueger, San Francisco, Calif.   (156)

9:18 a.m.    Sherry Herman, Marlboro, N.J.   (153) vs. Lea Bagwell-Venable, Greenville, S.C.   (160)

9:27 a.m.    Pat Milton, Akron, Ohio   (154) vs. Leslie Green, The Woodlands, Texas   (160)

9:36 a.m     Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas   (151) vs. Maricel Manguinao, Philipines   (161)

9:45 a.m.    Lee Ann Fairlie, Oklahoma City, Okla.   (155) vs. Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley, Pa.   (158)

9:54 a.m.    Thuhashini Selvaratna.m., Sri Lanka   (151) vs. Alicia Kapheim, Pennington, N.J.   (161)

10:03 a.m.   Leigh Klasse, St Anthony, Minn.   (155) vs. Brenda Willia.m.s, Minnetrista, Minn.   (158)

10:12 a.m.    Shannon Ogg, Seattle, Wash.   (149) vs. Anna Schultz, Richardson, Texas   (162)

10:21 a.m.    Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla.   (156) vs. Andrea Kraus, Baltimore, Md.   (156)

10:30 a.m.    Joan Garety, Rockford, Mich.   (152) vs. Martha Lang, Mandeville, La.   (160)

10:39 a.m.    Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, Calif.   (155) vs. Susan Romano, Chesterland, Ohio   (159)

10:48 a.m.    Claudia Pilot, Austin, Minn.   (150) vs. Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif.   (162)

10:57 a.m.    Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif.   (155) vs. Gail Flanagan, Rye, N.Y.   (156)

11:06 a.m.    Cecilia Fournil, Columbia, S.C.   (152) vs. Kareen Markle, Boise, Idaho   (160)

11:15 a.m.    Laura Coble, Augusta, Ga.   (155) vs. Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C.   (159)

11:24 a.m.    Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingha.m., Ala.   (147) vs. Kate Grace, San Diego, Calif.   (162)

11:33 a.m.    Ellen Port, St Louis, Mo.   (156) vs. Shelley Anderson, Clarksville, Tenn.   (156)

11:42 a.m.    Martha Leach, Hebron, Ky.   (153) vs. Julie Garner, Winter Park, Fla.   (160)

11:51 a.m.    Amber Marsh Elliott, Greensboro, N.C.   (154) vs. Julie Massa, Holt, Mich.   (159)

12:00 p.m.    Susan Roh, Denver, Colo.   (150) vs. Mina Hardin, Ft. Worth, Texas   (162)

12:09 p.m.    Debbie Adams, Biltmore Forest, N.C.   (155) vs. Desiree Ting, Wailuku, Hawaii   (158)

12:18 p.m.    Dawn Woodard, Cartersville, Ga.   (152) vs. Lyn Nelson, Half Moon Bay, Calif.   (161)

12:27 p.m.    Marianne Towersey, Newport Beach, Calif.   (155) vs. Sandra Nakagaki, Culver, Calif.   (158)

12:36 p.m.    Kerry Postillion, Burr Ridge, Ill.   (149) vs. Char McLear, Mchenry, Ill.   (162)

12:45 p.m.    Toni Wiesner, Ft. Worth, Texas   (156) vs. Julie Carmichael, Indianapolis, Ind.   (156)

12:54 p.m.    Kathy Crumley, Dallas, Texas   (153) vs. Natalie McNicholas, Tulsa, Okla.   (160)

1:03 p.m.     Virginia Grimes, Montgomery, Ala.   (154) vs. Akemi Khaiat, Huntington Beach, Calif.   (159)

1:12 p.m.    Susan Marchese, Omaha, Neb.   (150) vs. Sandy Jocoy, Agoura, Calif.   (162)

1:21 p.m.    Lisa Anderson, Stoneha.m., Mass.   (155) vs. Sarah Phillips-Durst, Tallahassee, Fla.   (157)

1:30 p.m.    Lisa De Simone, Carmel, Calif.   (152) vs. Brooke Cooper, New York, N.Y.   (160)

1:39 p.m.    Jessica Soltes, Rancho Mirage, Calif.   (155) vs. Daria Cummings, Monroe, Conn.   (159)