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By Sara Buechler
HOT SPRINGS — The fifth and final day of the Virginia State Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at the Omni Homestead Resort concluded Friday and top-seeded Andrea Miller claimed the President’s Cup for the second year in a row.
Miller (The Club at Glenmore) won the final match against Joanne Kitusky (The Dominion Club) 3 and 1.
“I felt the pressure today,” Miller said. “Out of the chute, I had a crazy amount of adrenaline. I was hitting the ball really hard and left and was a little wild, and I kept saying I need to swing slower and find the right tempo. After the fifth or so hole, I finally got there.”
It was a back-and-forth match on the front nine for Miller and Kitusky. Miller won the first hole, making par, but Kitusky immediately tied it with a birdie on No. 2. Miller won the fourth hole, but then Kitusky won holes 5 and 6, putting her 1 up. Miller was 1 up again when she won holes 7 and 8 by making birdie as Kitusky made par and bogey.
“Joanne was putting beautifully, and it was just back and forth,” Miller said. “She went up one, I went up one.”
Miller’s power zone (holes 12-15) was what created the turning point for the round and gave her the advantage to eventually win the match on 17 by making her putt.
“I knew I had to get to my corner,” Miller said. “Once I got to my corner, I started getting some momentum and started building what I needed to get to the end.”
She said she is very comfortable when she gets to that part of the round because she feels like she can do no wrong. Miller also had wonderful things to say about her competitor.
“Joanne is awesome, she’s awesome,” Miller said. “She is a competitor and an amazing putter. She had a couple unlucky breaks, or we would probably still be battling it out.”
Miller is the first back-to-back champion in this event since Shelley Savage (Army Navy CC) accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2013.
“It just feels super exciting,” Miller said. “I didn’t really think that I would be able to repeat because of all the pressure behind this tournament on repeating, so I am absolutely thrilled.”
Winners from the remaining flights at the VSGA Senior and Super Senior Women’s Amateurs were:
- Senior Championship Flight Consolation: Bev Lane
- Senior First Flight: Lindsay Wortham
- Senior First Flight Consolation: Diane Garstka
- Senior Second Flight: Pamela Luse
- Senior Second Flight Consolation: Nancy Duncan
- Senior Third Flight: Donna Bohlin
- Senior Third Flight Consolation: Teresa Hudson
- Senior Fourth Flight: Suki Button
- Senior Fourth Flight Consolation: Regina Custis
- Super Senior Championship Flight Consolation: Becki Davis
- Super Senior First Flight: Meg Gilmer
- Super Senior First Flight Consolation: Lisa Murphy
- Super Senior Second Flight: Debbie Young
- Super Senior Second Flight Consolation: Christy Pitts
- Super Senior Third Flight: Sandy Ohm
- Super Senior Third Flight Consolation: Mary Shields
- Super Senior Fourth Flight: Ellen McGowan
- Super Senior Fourth Flight Consolation: Linda Simpson
Buechler is a P.J. Boatwright intern with the VSGA.