Mina Hardin Becomes Three-Time Winner of the Senior Stroke Play

San Angelo — Fort Worth’s Mina Hardin has a nearly perfect scorecard for the final round of the 34^th Women’s Senior Stroke Play carding 16 pars and two bogeys at Bentwood Country Club. Hardin’s 2-over 74 was good for a five-shot victory over San Antonio’s Kelley Nittoli on Wednesday. Hardin adds another win along with her victories in 2013 and 2020 to an already impressive career resume.

Click here for full leaderboard

Leaders: Hardin had a comfortable lead of three shots heading into Wednesday’s round ahead of Lubbock’s Marian Barker. Hardin’s stayed steady throughout the round while San Antonio’s Kelly Nittoli made a charge up the leader board to second after a round of 1-over 73. Nittoli, who finished runner-up in last year’s championship, came close again as she finished five shots behind Hardin at 12-over 228 total for the week. Lubbock’s Marian Barker, the 2020 champion, finished in third at 13-over par for the championship after a final round 5-over 77. San Antonio’s Claudia Ramirez fired a final round of 2-over 74 to move up one spot into fourth place. Rounding out the top-5, Heath’s Anna Schultz posted a 4-over, 76 to finish 18-over 234.

Flights Division Update: Alvarado’s Debbie Macdonald capped off a wire to wire victory with a final round 9-over 81. The Super Senior Champion of the Championship Division belonged to Lubbock’s Marian Barker after she finished at 13-over 229 total for the tournament. Alvarado’s Debbie Macdonald claimed the Super Senior title over the Flights Division with a total 25-over 241 for the tournament. Lastly, Amarillo’s Rebecca Jones clinched the Legends title.

Founders Cup: This year’s championship host club, Bentwood Country Club, took home this year’s Founders Cup. The Founders Cup is awarded to the club with the two lowest combined net scores from Round 1. Representing Bentwood Country Club was Mary DeJacomo and Jerry Whitfield. The club posted a net score of 5-under for Round 1.

Course: Bentwood Country Club, host of this year’s championship, has been expertly designed by William P. Martindale, (noted golf architect and former touring professional). Penalty areas and numerous bunkers are strategically placed to give the 6,932 yard course a challenging unique character. The par-72 West Texas gem first opened in 1979.

Tournament Info: The Women’s Senior Stroke Play is in its 34th year on the schedule and is the second to last event for the women on the 2023 TGA schedule. Marilyn Hardy captured the victory last year at Shady Valley Country Club. The championship is a 54-hole stroke play competition. The 16 players with the lowest handicap indexes at the Women’s Senior Stroke Play will be required to play from the Championship Tees (approx. 5500-5700 yards). All other players may select which tees they wish to play from – the Championship Tees or the Flights Tees (approx. 5100-5300 yards). Upon completion of Round 2, the flights division will be broken into flights based on 36-hole scores.

POY Points Race: Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top ten finishers of the championship division for the Senior Player of the Year race. The champion will earn 500 points towards the honor followed by 450 for runner-up, 400 for third, 350 for fourth and 300 for fifth.

What’s Next: One more event remains on the TGA’s schedule for the women in 2023. The Women’s Texas Pinehurst will take place on Nov. 6-7 at Sterling Country Club in Houston.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For More information about the Women’s Senior Stroke Play, click here. To see all the scores from Bentwood Country Club, click here.

#TGA#

Mina Hardin Leads at 34th Women’s Senior Stroke Play

San Angelo — Mina Hardin separates herself from the field at the 34th Women’s Senior Stroke Play sitting at 5-over total after firing rounds of 2-over 74 on Monday and 3-over 75 on Tuesday at Bentwood Country Club. Hardin will have a 3 shot lead going into Wednesday’s final round. 3-shots behind Hardin sits Lubbock’s Marian Barker at 8-over after rounds of 74 and 78.

Click here for full leaderboard

Leaders: In Tuesday’s second round, Fort Worth’s Mina Hardin rolled in two birdies accompanied by five bogeys and eleven pars. Hardin is no stranger to winning Senior Championships, a two-time champion of the Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. At five-over for two rounds, Hardin has a 3-shot lead on the field. Sitting at 8-over par, Lubbock’s Marian Barker fired a 6-over 78. In third place with the tied low round of the day, San Antonio’s Kelly Nittoli fired an even par 72 improving after her first round by 11 strokes.

Flights Division Update: In the Flights Division, Alvarado’s Debbie Macdonald continues to lead the Flights Division with consistent play on Tuesday’s round by firing an 82. With a solid round of 79, Plano’s Sara Nelson is 3-shots back of Macdonald in second. One shot behind Nelson, Heath’s Kristin Hawk sits in third place after a score of 83 in Tuesday’s round. The Flights Division has been divided into three flights based on 36-hole scores for Wednesday’s final round.

Course: Bentwood Country Club, host of this year’s championship, has been expertly designed by William P. Martindale, (noted golf architect and former touring professional). Penalty areas and numerous bunkers are strategically placed to give the 6,932 yard course a challenging unique character. The par-72 West Texas gem first opened in 1979.

Tournament Info: The Women’s Senior Stroke Play is in its 34th year on the schedule and is the second to last event for the women on the 2023 TGA schedule. Marilyn Hardy captured the victory last year at Shady Valley Country Club. The championship is a 54-hole stroke play competition. The 16 players with the lowest handicap indexes at the Women’s Senior Stroke Play will be required to play from the Championship Tees (approx. 5500-5700 yards). All other players may select which tees they wish to play from – the Championship Tees or the Flights Tees (approx. 5100-5300 yards). Upon completion of Round 2, the flights division will be broken into flights based on 36-hole scores.

POY Points Race: Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top ten finishers of the championship division for the Senior Player of the Year race. The champion will earn 500 points towards the honor followed by 450 for runner-up, 400 for third, 350 for fourth and 300 for fifth.

What’s Next: The final round will tee off from Bentwood Country Club at 9:00 AM on Wednesday morning. After this, one more event remains on the TGA’s schedule for the women in 2023. The Women’s Texas Pinehurst will take place on Nov. 6-7 at Sterling Country Club in Houston.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For More information about the Women’s Senior Stroke Play, click here. To see all the scores from Bentwood Country Club, click here.

#TGA#

Ritchie and Martin Win 2023 Women’s Four Ball Championship

Ritchie and Martin Win 2023 Women’s Four Ball Championship

BOERNE – Entering Tuesday’s final round of the 2023 Women’s Four Ball Championship two shots behind the leaders, Emily Ritchie from Fair Oaks Ranch and Delaney Martin from Boerne came back to win the Championship after a 3-hole playoff against the formidable team of Brandee Fleming from Montgomery and Eryn Garza from Magnolia.

Click here for full leaderboard

Leaders: 

Delaney Martin will begin her senior year at Abilene Christian University and Emily Ritchie is a senior at Lee University. The hometown pair have been playing golf together for eleven years, their positive energy and local knowledge helped them capture the 2023 Women’s Four Ball Championship victory.

“It was great watching Delaney make 5 birdies, but I was itching to make a birdie,” said Emily Ritchie, “but my birdie on hole #18 to win was a good one,” she said with a laugh. Delaney said, “that putt was my favorite memory of the tournament.”

After 3 playoff holes, Martin and Ritchie came out victorious by making birdie on the 3^rd hole, #18, when Ritchie sunk the putt for the win.

In Contention: In the Championship Flight, Brandee Fleming from Montogomery and Eryn Garza from Magnolia fought hard, shooting an impressive two-day total of 137, 7-under par, earned them a spot in a playoff for the Championship. Fleming and Garza placed second after a three-hole playoff was won by Martin and Ritchie. Sidney Robertson from Tyler and Olivia Mitchell from Plano placed third after consistent play throughout the tournament and a two-day total of 139.

Flight Winners:

First Flight – Camm Dougherty from Corpus Christi and Meghan Moake from Houston won the First Flight by one-shot with a two-day total of 142 after they added a 1-under 71 on Tuesday. Meghan made two natural birdies.

Second Flight – Fair Oaks Ranch’s Vanessa Hersh and Andrea Davidson won the Second Flight by two shots with a two-day total of 169.

Third Flight – Katherine Biggs from Houston and Lorraine Werner from the Woodlands held on to their three-shot lead to claim the Third flight victory with a two-day total of 178.

Course: Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club is hosting the Women’s Four-Ball Championship for the first time. The last women’s event hosted at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club was the 2018 Women’s Partnership. Designed by golf legend, Gary Player, the Blackjack course at Fair Oaks is an 18-hole championship golf course. The link-style golf course and the wind on the middle stretch of holes can provide a challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

Tournament History: The Women’s Four-Ball Championship is in its 16^th year on the schedule and is the fifth women’s statewide championship in 2023. The tournament is a 36-hole four-ball stroke play event with teams competing in two separate divisions, the Championship Division and the Flights Division. The ten teams with the lowest combined handicap indexes will be required to play from the championship tees. Those who do not wish to play in the championship division will be placed in the flights division and pre-flighted based on their combined handicap indexes.

POY Points Race: POY Points Race:  By winning, Emily Ritchie & Delaney Martin were awarded 450 points towards Statewide Player of the Year standings.

What’s Next: The TGA heads out to San Angelo for the Women’s Senior Stroke Play at Bentwood Country Club on September 18-20, 2023.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For more information about the Women’s Four-Ball Championship, click here. To see all the scores from Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club, click here.

Fleming & Garza Lead After Round 1 of the 2023 Women’s Four-Ball Championship

Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club —Eryn Garza from Magnolia and Brandee Fleming from Montgomery lead the Championship Division of the Women’s Four Ball after firing a 6-under 66 amidst the hot conditions on Monday.

Click here for full leaderboard

Leaders: Garza and Fleming made eight birdies pushing them two strokes ahead after the first round. Eryn and Brandee started off consistently, making 4 birdies in their first seven holes. They continued their streak to finish 3-under in the last four holes. In the First Flight, the teams of Jennifer Hoyt from Horseshoe Bay and Marian Barker from Lubbock and Camm Dougherty from Corpus Christi and Meghan Moake from Houston are tied for first place. Alisa Kennedy and Cathy Gibson from Corpus Christi are leading the Second Flight. The Third Flight is lead by the teams of Robin Bobbitt and Lyn Jones from Houston and Lorraine Werner from The Woodland and Katherine Biggs from Houston.

In Contention: In the Championship Flight, Boerne’s, Delaney Martin and Fair Oaks Ranch’s own, Emily Ritchie shot a 4-under, 68. Rounding out the top three, Ryann Honea from Austin and Kate Pickrell from San Angelo’s fired a 3-under 69.

Course: Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club is hosting the Women’s Four-Ball Championship for the first time. The last women’s event hosted at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club was the 2018 Women’s Partnership. Designed by golf legend, Gary Player, the Blackjack course at Fair Oaks is an 18-hole championship golf course. The link-style golf course and the wind on the middle stretch of holes can provide a challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

Tournament History: The Women’s Four-Ball Championship is in its 16^th year on the schedule and is the fifth women’s statewide championship in 2023. The tournament is a 36-hole four-ball stroke play event with teams competing in two separate divisions, the Championship Division and the Flights Division. The ten teams with the lowest combined handicap indexes will be required to play from the championship tees. Those who do not wish to play in the championship division will be placed in the flights division and pre-flighted based on their combined handicap indexes.

POY Points Race: Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top five teams for the Women’s Player of the Year and Women’s Senior Player of the Year. The champions will each get 450 points towards the statewide honor followed by 300 for runner-up, 250 for third, 200 for fourth and 150 for fifth.

What’s Next: The Final Round of the Women’s Four-Ball Championship will commence tomorrow with a 9:00am shotgun start.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For More information about the Women’s Four-Ball Championship, click here. To see all the scores from Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club, click here.

North and South Regional Four-Ball Postponed

Due to inclement weather, both North and South Regional Four-Ball have been postponed from their original date, February 20-21.

North Four-Ball has been rescheduled to March 6-7, 2021 at Brookhaven Country Club.

South Four-Ball reschedule date has not been announced. The TGA staff and the Wilderness Golf Club are working a new date.

More information will be communicated to the respective tournament fields. Any questions, please contact Tournament Director, Chris Untiedt at [email protected].