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Golden Takes Early Lead In U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship

 

Ocala, Fla. – Wendi Golden, 34, of Bradenton, Fla., fired a 1-under-par 71 to lead early finishers in the first stroke-play qualifying round of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at the 6,173-yard, par-72 Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club.

Jennifer Lucas, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Lisa McGill, 50, of Philadelphia fired rounds of 1-over-par 73 to trail Golden by two strokes. Defending champion Joan Higgins, 53, of Glendora, Calif., and Laura Coble, 45, of Augusta, Ga., shot 74.

After half of the 132-player field finished their first round Golden, who led sectional qualifying at this club in August, had a two-stroke lead.

“I feel like I left about three shots out there,” said Golden. “It could have been a 67 or 68, but it could have been a 74 or 75 just as well. I was really solid from 5 feet in.”

Golden made three birdies in her round. She made a 15-footer at the first hole for birdie, and then birdied the fifth hole with a 7-foot birdie putt. Her last birdie came at the 17th hole, where she sank a curling 23-foot putt. Only two bogeys marred her round. A chunked chip led to a bogey at the sixth hole and another missed shot caused Golden to bogey the 15th hole.

She led sectional qualifying at Golden Hills with a 2-over-par round of 74 and was the only player among sectional qualifiers to break 80. Golden is the golf coach at Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) High School and her team has a 9-0 record this season.

Lucas triple-bogeyed her first hole of the round, the 10th, after a wild drive and an eventual three-putt green. She managed to make four birdies on the day, sinking putts of less than 9 feet at the fourth, ninth, 12th and 13th holes.

Lucas is the mother of two children, a 3 year old and a 4 month old, who are traveling with her this week. Both children have been suffering from the flu and are staying with their grandmother at a house the Lucas family has rented in the area.  Her husband, Ryan Lucas, has also been afflicted with the flu this week but is serving as his wife’s caddie.

After Sunday’s second round of stroke-play qualifying, the low 64 scorers will advance to match play. The Women’s Mid-Amateur concludes with a scheduled 18-hole final on Thursday.

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

Story written by Rhonda Glenn, a Manager of Communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.

 

 

 
Championship Facts

U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

PAR AND YARDAGE – Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club will play at 6,173 yards and a par of 35-37—72 for stroke-play rounds. For match play, the course will play at 6,193 yards.

COURSE SETUP – The USGA Course Rating® for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club is 76.5 and USGA Slope Rating® is 134.

Tees, fairways, approaches and collars, height of grass – 0.425 inches

Putting greens – 0.120 inches with a speed of 10.5 to 11 feet on the USGA Stimpmeter

Intermediate Rough – 0.75 inches (6-foot width)

First Cut, Primary Rough – 1.5 inches (15- to 20-foot width)

Second Cut, Primary Rough – 2.5 inches

ARCHITECTS – Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club was designed by Charles Pace and Lee Popple and opened in 1964. The course was redesigned by Rees Jones in 2005.

THE USGA AND FLORIDA – The 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will be the 17th USGA championship conducted in the state of Florida. It will be the seventh national women’s championship and the third U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur to be conducted in the state of Florida. In 1988, the championship was held at Amelia Island Plantation in Amelia Island, and in 1992 it was played at Old Marsh Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

 

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