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By Ben Walls
HOT SPRINGS–In the first and only round of qualifying stroke play Monday, Andrea Miller earned medalist at the 65th Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, and Linda DiVall and Boodie McGurn earned medalist at the 4th Super Senior Amateur Championship.
“I started out on fire,” Miller said. “I felt really good after nine. I just tried to keep everything in front of me.”
Miller, recently returning from her round of 32 appearance at the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, posted 2-under par 70 at The Homestead’s Old Course. She had also been playing with older, unfamiliar clubs on Monday because of airline logistical errors while returning from the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur last week in Anchorage, Alaska.
“With little familiarity with my clubs, I didn’t want to do anything real creative, and I played right down the middle and give myself a chance for a birdie putt here and there.”
After Monday and as someone with two consecutive championship victories, Miller met expectations in the front nine which put her in a good spot for round of 16 stroke play beginning Tuesday. With the 2022 Senior Women’s Amateur Championship title, she will join DiVall, McGurn, Shelley Savage, Kay Schiefelbein and Madelyne Egenroad who have all won three championship titles.
Only two golfers in the championship’s history have won three consecutive titles–Schiefelbein and Peggy Woodard.
“I like where I am right now,” Miller said. “Obviously, this is a strong field, and anything can happen, but I’ve been playing pretty good golf here recently.”
In the back nine, Miller noticed that the mountain wind in Hot Springs affected her ability to make pars and birdies. She only made on birdie in the back nine, compared to her four in the front, and bogeyed on three holes, two of which on No. 17 and 18.
Miller added that she “should have adjusted more to the wind” and said she had only accounted for the summer heat and humidity as the only condition which would have affected play and stamina. Regardless, Miller believed her attitude made a difference Monday.
“Getting off the tee on (No. 1) and getting the opportunity to reach No. 1 and 2 set the stage for building the confidence I need to really go out strong,” Miller said. She then continued to shoot par on No. 3 despite leaving her ball in the tall rough 40 yards from the pin inside a sloped green.
“I think (No.3) was the one that I felt like ‘Oh, this is going to be to be good.’”
DiVall and McGurn both shot 3-over par 75 at The Homestead Monday and mentioned they impressed themselves with their short game, allowing them to be first and second seeds, respectfully, for quarterfinal stroke play beginning Tuesday.
“I’m thrilled beyond belief,” DiVall said while referencing earning medalist. “It’s still a lot of pressure, but it’s a lot of fun. I just want to hit fairways and greens until the last hole–it’s exactly what I was hoping for.
“I only birdie on only one hole, but I was happy with par. This is not a day to attack anything. It was just a day to stay calm.”
McGurn, who earned medalist at the 64th VSGA Women’s Senior Amateur in 2021, did not birdie on any hole Monday, which she said was “disappointing” after her round. Nonetheless, she mentioned her ability to convert putts after missing greens several times, especially on No. 18, allowed to earn the second seed for Tuesday.
“I just wanted to make par and go home,” McGurn said. “There were several putts I missed, but I’m not disappointed–it was all fine.”