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By Chris Lang
HOT SPRINGS — The defending champions in both the 63rd Virginia State Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur and 2nd VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur championships remained alive in their respective championship flight brackets Wednesday at The Omni Homestead Resort’s Old Course.
Springfield’s Mimi Hoffman will continue her quest for her second straight title—and record sixth overall championship—in the semifinals of the Senior Women’s Amateur on Thursday. Also Thursday, Salem’s Dot Bolling will look to win her second straight title in the event in the 18-hole championship match of the Super Senior Women’s Amateur, featuring players 65 and older.
63rd VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
Three of the four women who advanced to Thursday’s semifinals have combined to win 11 Senior Women’s Amateur titles. The other player is Keswick’s Andrea Miller, who is making her debut in the event and rode a second straight dominating performance to the semifinals.
The first semifinal will feature a pair of three-time event champions—Alexandria’s Shelley Savage and Richmond’s Boodie McGurn. Savage was the stroke-play qualifying co-medalist on Monday and has shown no signs of slowing down as the tournament moves deeper into match play.
Savage, who won titles in 2005, 2012 and 2013, defeated Alexandria’s Joan Gardner in Wednesday’s quarterfinals 2 and 1. Savage turned the match around in startling fashion as the players made the turn to the back nine. Gardner (Mount Vernon CC) led 2-up after the outward nine, but Savage (Army Navy CC) won the next five holes to seize control of the match. Savage held a 3-up lead after 15 holes and needed only to tie one of the final three holes to claim victory. She did so when both players made par on No. 17.
McGurn, champion in 2004, 2009 and 2015, defeated Glen Allen’s Joanne Kitusky (The Dominion Club) 4 and 2 in the second quarterfinal. McGurn (CC of Virginia) led 2 up through 14 holes and won when she made three straight birdies to close out the match, two of which won holes.
Miller (The Club at Glenmore) and Hoffman (Belle Haven CC) will square off in the second semifinal. Miller hasn’t played past the 13th hole since Monday’s qualifying round. After a 9-and-7 win in the first round, she routed two-time Senior Women’s Amateur champion Natalie Easterly (CC of Virginia) 6 and 5 in the quarterfinals.
Miller built a 4-up lead through eight holes and never let up, making birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 to win those holes and increase her lead to 6 up. She won on the 13th green when both players made bogey.
Hoffman played the tightest match of the quarterfinal round, outlasting Diane Garstka (Springfield G&CC) 1 up. Neither player built a lead of more than a hole until Hoffman made a birdie on the par-5 15th to go 2 up. Garstka immediately answered with a birdie on No. 16 to shave the lead to 1 up. Both players made par on 17 and bogey on 18, securing the win for Hoffman.
The Senior Women’s Amateur also featured play in the first flight for those who didn’t qualify for the championship flight, as well as consolation bracket matches in both the championship and first flights. For results, please click on the “Event Home” link above.
2nd VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
In a rematch of last year’s championship match, Bolling (Hidden Valley CC) defeated Ridgeway’s Fran Hensley (Gordon Trent GC) 3 and 2. Bolling was in control the entire way, winning the first hole with a birdie and the second hole with a par to quickly go 2 up. Hensley rallied with a par on the third but never got closer the rest of the way.
Bolling made pars on Nos. 6 and 8 to win those holes and go 3 up, and the players tied the next eight holes as Bolling secured her win.
Bolling will meet Maidens’ Maggie Balch (Hermitage CC) in Thursday’s 18-hole championship match. Balch ousted fellow Richmond-area player Tillie Aguiar (Lakeside Park Club) 1 up in the second semifinal. Aguiar led early before Balch took a 1-up edge with a birdie on No. 9. After falling behind by two, Aguiar won Nos. 14 and 16 to even the match. Balch’s par on No. 17 gave her a 1-up lead, and the players each made bogey on No. 18, securing Balch’s win.
The Super Senior Women’s Amateur also featured play in first and second flights for those who didn’t qualify for the championship flight, as well as consolation brackets in all three flights. For results, please click on the “Event Home” link above.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.
63rd VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
At The Omni Homestead Resort (Old), Hot Springs
Par 72, 4,963 yards
Championship flight
Tuesday’s round of 16 matches
#1 Shelley Savage (Alexandria) def. #16 Bev Lane (Great Falls), 3 and 2
#8 Joan Gardner (Alexandria) def. #9 Kay Tyler (Springfield), 5 and 4
#4 Joanne Kitusky (Glen Allen) def. #13 CJ George (Richmond), 5 and 4
#5 Boodie McGurn (Richmond) def. #12 Amy Phelan (Reston), 3 and 1
#2 Natalie Easterly (Charlottesville) def. #15 Cindy Hollingshead (Manakin Sabot), 1 up
#7 Andrea Miller (Keswick) def. #10 Peggy Freeman (Richmond), 9 and 7
#3 Mimi Hoffman (Springfield) def. #14 Karla Knight (Richmond), 4 and 3
#6 Diane Garstka (Springfield) def. #11 Linda DiVall (Alexandria), 3 and 1
Wednesday’s quarterfinal matches
#1 Savage def. #8 Gardner, 2 and 1
#5 McGurn def. #4 Kitusky, 4 and 2
#7 Miller def. #2 Easterly, 6 and 5
#3 Hoffman def. #6 Garstka, 1 up
Thursday’s semifinal matches
#1 Savage vs. #5 McGurn, 8:16 a.m.
#3 Hoffman vs. #7 Miller, 8:24 a.m.
2nd VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
At The Omni Homestead Resort (Old), Hot Springs
Par 72, 4,823 yards
Championship flight
Tuesday’s quarterfinal matches
#1 Dot Bolling (Salem) def. #8 Janet Cochrane (Cloverdale), 3 and 2
#4 Fran Hensley (Ridgeway) def. #5 Kailynn Sprinkle (Salem), 6 and 5
#2 Tillie Aguiar (Manakin Sabot) def. #7 Susan Gallienne (Midlothian), 19 holes
#6 Maggie Balch (Maidens) def. #3 Marie Anderson (Lorton), 4 and 3
Wednesday’s semifinal matches
#1 Bolling def. #4 Hensley, 3 and 2
#6 Balch def. #2 Aguiar, 1 up
Thursday’s championship match
#1 Bolling vs. #6 Balch, 9:36 a.m.