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By Chris Lang
HOT SPRINGS — Charlottesville’s Natalie Easterly and Alexandria’s Shelley Savage, who have combined to win five Virginia State Golf Association’s Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, each posted even-par rounds of 72 Monday at The Omni Homestead Resort’s Old Course to share medalist honors at the 63rd playing of the event.
The VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship was originally scheduled for late July but was moved to September. Play continues Tuesday with the first of four rounds of match play. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Wednesday, the semifinals for Thursday and the 18-hole championship for Friday.
The 2nd VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur Championship is being held concurrently at the Old Course. Manakin-Sabot’s Tillie Aguiar and defending champion Dot Bolling of Salem tied for medalist honors after returning rounds of 7-over 79. Eight players advanced to match play in the championship flight of the Super Senior event, with Bolling taking the top seed. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, the semifinals for Wednesday and the 18-hole championship for Thursday.
63rd VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
Easterly and Savage finished two shots clear of Glen Allen’s Joanne Kitusky and Springfield’s Mimi Hoffman, who is seeking her record sixth championship.
Savage, a three-time champion, will be the top seed for match play and open against Great Falls’ Bev Lane. Savage, a member at Army Navy Country Club, rescued her round with a strong inward-nine performance. She was 3 over for the day after a bogey on the par-4 10th, but she used a three-birdie run on 12, 13 and 14 to return to level par. After a bogey on the par-3 16th, she made birdie on the short par-4 17th and parred the 18th to finish the day even.
Easterly, a member at The Country Club of Virginia, had a steadier day, finishing with 14 pars, two birdies and two bogeys. She’ll open pursuit of her second title in three years Tuesday against 15th seed Cindy Hollingshead.
Hoffman has reached the championship match in each of the last four years, winning titles in 2016 and 2019. She draws Richmond’s Karla Knight in the round of 16. Kitusky will meet Richmond’s CJ George on Tuesday.
Every past champion in the event advanced to the round of 16, including a pair of three-time winners--Boodie McGurn of Richmond and Alexandria’s Linda DiVall. The last stroke-play qualifying medalist to win the title was McGurn in 2015.
McGurn tied with Springfield’s Diane Garstka and division newcomer Andrea Miller of Keswick at 75, three shots back of the medalists.
Those who did not qualify for the championship bracket will compete in the 15-player first-flight bracket.
2nd VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
Bolling has been the dominant force since the advent of the 65-and-over division, and for the second straight year, she’ll be the top match-play seed at the Old Course.
Bolling, who has also won two VSGA Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play titles, slipped into a tie for medalist honors after a run of four straight bogeys to end her round. Aguiar’s round unfolded in opposite fashion, as she stabilized after a tough start and finished pars on seven of her last nine holes.
Bolling and Aguiar finished a shot clear of Lorton’s Marie Anderson and Ridgeway’s Fran Hensley, who each posted 80s. Bolling will open her title defense on Tuesday against Cloverdale’s Janet Cochrane, while Aguiar drew Midlothian’s Susan Galliene in the quarterfinals.
Hensley, who lost in last year’s final to Bolling, is the No. 4 seed and will face Salem’s Kailynn Sprinkle. Anderson meets Maggie Balch of Maidens in the other quarterfinal.
Those who did not qualify for the championship bracket were slotted into either the first-flight or second-flight bracket, depending on qualifying round score.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.