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Pictured: Andrea Miller
By Chris Lang
ALEXANDRIA — After the open division kicked things off on Tuesday, the 2022 Virginia State Golf Association Women’s Stroke Play Championships moved into high gear on Wednesday, with the seniors, super seniors and net division players joining the fun.
Despite two weather delays on Wednesday at Mount Vernon Country Club, Day 2 play was completed, setting up final-round action in four different championships on Thursday.
45th VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship: Burke’s Alexandra Austin will take a two-stroke lead over Ashburn’s Lauren Greenlief into the final round of the 54-hole championship. Austin was not as sharp as she was in shooting an opening-round 68 on Tuesday, carding a 2-over 73 on Tuesday that nonetheless left her in the lead. Austin (2016) and Greenlief (four times) are past winners of this event.
25th VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship: Keswick’s Andrea Miller—the reigning VSGA Senior Women’s Golfer of the Year—was the only player under par on Wednesday, posting a 1-under 70 to take a six-stroke advantage over her closest pursuers. Miller has won the last two VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur titles.
5th VSGA Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship: Northern Virginian Arline Hoffman, who is a member at both Washington G&CC and Belle Haven CC, impressed in her first super senior event, posting a 4-over 75 to take a three-stroke lead into the second and final round over Mount Vernon member Linda DiVall.
1st VSGA Women’s Net Stroke Play Championship: Allison Cherry, a member at The Brookwoods Golf Club outside of Richmond, shot an even-par net 71 (gross 77) to take a one-stroke lead over Chelsea Hester of Winchester Country Club. Hester, who was getting 14 strokes, shot a net 1-over 72.
THE STORY
WSP: When Austin made a birdie on the short par-4 10th hole on Wednesday, she appeared to be running away with the competition. She was 4-under for the tournament at that point and held a three-shot lead over her closest pursuer. But then she started to have issues with her putter, going 3 over for the rest of her round, opening the door for others to close the gap.
“My putting was not good today,” Austin said. “I three-putted for my double bogey. I don’t think I was as confident with my putting as I was yesterday. I made a few putts early on, but then I think I got a little timid.”
Enter Greenlief, who played another steady round. After finishing with two birdies and two bogeys in Tuesday’s first round, she had two birdies and three bogeys on Wednesday to remain in the hunt.
“I’m happy to be going into tomorrow with a little cushion, but I know Lauren will be coming for me,” Austin said. “So I’m going to need to make some birdies.”
Just behind them, Virginia Tech’s Alyssa Montgomery lurks three shots back at 2-over. She posted a 2-over 73 on Wednesday, one that included a crippling five-putt for triple bogey on the par-4 17th hole. Former Hokie and defending WSP champion Jessica Spicer continued her rally from a rough front nine on Tuesday, posting a 1-under 70 that leaves her within four strokes of Austin heading into Thursday.
Spicer was 5 over on the front in Tuesday’s first round but has played the last 27 holes at a cumulative 2-under.
SWSP: Though she started with a bogey, Miller made three birdies and stayed out of trouble for most of the rest of her round to build a comfortable lead. Her only blemish after the first hole was a bogey on No. 13. Mary Cabriele, who won this championship in both 2015 and 2016, shot a 6-over 76, as did Katie Cox. Those two are tied for second.
The final senior group was the one most affected by the weather delays. The second delay hit at 4:08 p.m. as they were on the 17th green, and they didn’t return to the course until nearly 6 p.m. Mount Vernon member Joan Gardner is in fourth place after shooting an 8-over 79.
SSWSP: Hoffman has contended in the past in Senior Women’s Stroke Plays, most notably at one of her home courses (Belle Haven) several years ago. She’s part of a bolstered super-senior crew looking to challenge three-time event champion Dot Bolling of Salem.
Hoffman carded an early birdie on No. 14 (she started off No. 10) and avoided big numbers, save for a double-bogey on 18, to take a three-shot lead.
“I was driving it well,” Hoffman said. “I only missed like two times. On 18, I missed, and I hit it into the bunker and three-putted. But other than that, I drove the ball really well and kept myself out of trouble.”
Behind DiVall, another Mount Vernon member, Shawn McCullough, was tied for third after returning a 10-over 81. Fawn Lake’s Becki Davis was also tied for third. Though she made three birdies, the big number was an issue, as she had seven bogeys and three double bogeys. Bolling shot a 12-over 83 and is tied for sixth.
NWSP: The Net Women’s Stroke Play field featured players with a variety of handicaps who preferred to compete in a net competition rather than a gross one. As Hester noted on the course, “this is so much fun.”
Behind Cherry and Hester on the leaderboard were Lynne Leith (4-over 75, 15 strokes), Richelle Davis (5-over 76, 11 strokes), Suzanne Priest (6-over 77, 8 strokes), and Donna Bohlin (6-over 77, 11 strokes).
NOTE
- Four tournament participants qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship on Tuesday: Miller, Gardner, Cabriele and McCullough. The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be held in Anchorage, Alaska from July 30-August 4.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.