9th Women’s Stroke Play Championship Set for June 23-25

Harbor Lakes Golf Club in Granbury will be the host site for the 9th Women’s Stroke Play. Conducted by the Texas Golf Association, the championship is scheduled for June 23-25.

This will be the fourth TGA championship to be held at Harbor Lakes. The club previously hosted the 2006 and 2012 Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the 2022 North Texas Regional Amateur.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to return this year to Harbor Lakes Golf Club for one of our premier championships,” said Amy Worthington, TGA Director of Women’s Operations. “We know the club and its membership, which have long been passionate supporters of amateur golf, will provide an exceptional experience for the players.”

Located approximately 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Harbor Lakes Golf Club opened in 2003 and was designed by Dick Phelps. The par-72 layout, which will play approximately 6,300 yards during the championship, is routed through a varied landscape of rolling hills, hardwood trees, and open meadows. With many fairways and greens guarded by water hazards, bunkers, and run-off areas, the course presents an exacting challenge to even the most accomplished players.

“Harbor Lakes requires a combination of strength, precision, and sound course management to score well,” Worthington said. “It’s a fantastic course with lots of character and nuance and will be a great test for the state’s best female amateur golfers.”

The 9th Women’s Stroke Play will be contested over 54 holes of individual stroke play. The top 30 players with the lowest World Handicap System Indexes® will compete in the Championship Flight, plus those players who opted into the Championship Flight at the time entries were submitted. The remaining players will compete in one of two additional flights.

Defending champion Camryn Carreon of San Antonio will head the 84-player starting field at Harbor Lakes. Carreon, a then-senior at UT San Antonio, carded rounds of 74-71-68 to win the 8th Women’s Stroke Play last year at Traditions Club at Texas A&M in Bryan. Her 3-under 213 total was good for a three-stroke victory over runner-up Ellie Szeryk of Allen. Carreon will look to become the first player in the championship’s 9-year history to capture back-to-back titles.

Joining Carreon are several other top finishers from the 2022 championship, including Elina Sinz of Katy (who finished 4th), Delaney Martin of Boerne (8th), Alise Knudson of Dallas (T9), Megan Tan of Fort Worth (11th), and Mason Lewis of Granbury (T12).

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than June 21. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Harbor Lakes Golf Club.

First held in 2015, the Women’s Stroke Play is one of the two women’s majors on the TGA’s annual schedule along with the Women’s Texas Amateur. Thus far, three players have won both the Women’s Stroke Play and Women’s Texas Amateur. They are Hanna Alberto, Annika Clark, and Emma McMyler. Only McMyler has captured both major titles in the same year.

McMyler Crowned Champion of the 2021 Women’s Stroke Play

KERRVILLE – Emma McMyler of San Antonio clenched her victory Sunday at the Women’s Stroke Play at The Club at Comanche Trace. The Xavier University soon-to-be sophomore finished the final round of the 54-hole championship even-par 72 for an overall score of 4-under 212. She won with a four-stroke lead over Hailey Jones and Elina Sinz who tied for second and ended the tournament with an even-par 216.

Leading since the second round, McMyler stayed focused as the field fought to overtake her first-place spot.

“I played pretty solid golf, just kept hitting greens and 2-putting every time,” McMyler said of her round today.

McMyler dropped her last putt on the par-4 18th carding a bogey for her last hole, leaving her to shoot an even-par 72 and remain at her round two total of 4-under after 54 holes.

“I was a little nervous on the last hole,” McMyler said of her confidence coming up the final stretch. “I just kept breathing and stuck to my game plan.”

After being in the lead after the first round of the Women’s Stroke Play Friday, Jones fought hard to climb the leaderboard today. She started off hot on the front nine, birdied holes no. 4 and no. 6 turning at 2-under 34. However, as she made her way to the home stretch, she struggled, making back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.

Fighting just as hard as Jones was Auburn University rising sophomore Elina Sinz. Sinz had a tough start to her round Sunday with 2 bogeys, a double bogey and only a single birdie on the front nine. She battled back on the back nine, earning three birdies with only one bogey on the par-5 13th.

Nonetheless, even-par rounds couldn’t reach McMyler’s 4-under round.

McMyler joins past winners of this championship, including professional golfers Kaitlyn Papp who won the inaugural Women’s Stroke Play in 2015 and Hanna Alberto and Julie Houston who were two-thirds of the three co-champions of 2017. Other past winners include elite college golfers Hailee Cooper and Serena Shah.

The Flights division was split into 2 separate flights by the player’s 36-hole scores. Kelley Nittoli was crowned champion of the first flight with scores of 73-69-76 for an overall score of 2-over 218. In the second flight, Lecia Alexander finished the 54-hole championship with a total 248 and claimed the title with scores of 86-81-81.

Only six years old, the Women’s Stroke Play was created to give women another major tournament in Texas. Since its inception, the Women’s Stroke Play consistently attracts a field of elite female golfers of all ages and is celebrated state-wide.

The TGA Staff extends its sincere gratitude to The Club at Comanche Trace, its members and staff, as well as the TGA volunteers, who all played integral roles in hosting a memorable championship.

Women’s Stroke Play Set for June 25-27

KERRVILLE – The 2021 Women’s Stroke Play Championship will be played June 25-27 at The Club at Comanche Trace.

This will be the first Women’s Stroke Play and seventh TGA major championship overall to be hosted by Comanche Trace. The 2017 Texas Mid-Amateur, won by Colby Harwell, was the most recent TGA major contested at the storied Central Texas club.

The Club at Comanche Trace is a sprawling 27-hole complex set amid 1,300 acres overlooking the Guadalupe River in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The Women’s Stroke Play will be held on The Hills and The Valley nines, the original 18 holes at Comanche Trace, designed by World Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Kite, along with Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell. The Creeks nine, added in 2008, was designed by the father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish.

“Comanche Trace has a proud championship history, and we are confident the golf course will test the players’ skill and help to identify a worthy champion,” said Jeff Hunter, Director of Golf at Comanche Trace. “Our membership really enjoys hosting major events. They are very welcoming and love watching great players in action. We are certain this year’s Women’s Stroke Play Championship will be an exceptional experience for everyone.”

The Women’s Stroke Play is the newest major on the women’s schedule and was first played in 2015. The championship annually attracts the state’s best amateurs across all age divisions, from juniors and collegians to mid-amateurs and seniors.

“Since the event was established six years ago, the field has continued to get stronger and stronger and has been a showcase for the most talented players in the state,” TGA Director of Women’s Operations Amy Worthington said.

This year’s 75-player starting field is one of the deepest ever assembled.

Oklahoma State University sophomore Hailey Jones of Dallas makes a reappearance in the Women’s Stroke Play after finishing tied for sixth last year. Jones is a three-time Legends Junior Tour Player of the Year and a two-time Texas Junior Amateur champion. During her sophomore year at OSU, Jones posted a 74.67 stroke average, ranking fifth on the team that secured a spot in the NCAA Championships this past May.

Montgomery’s Hailee Cooper was declared one of three co-champions at the 2017 Women’s Stroke Play when the sudden-death playoff was canceled due to severe weather. The UT junior also won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner and UT teammate Kaitlyn Papp of Austin, who won the inaugural Women’s Stroke Play Championship in 2015.

UT freshman Bentley Cotton of Westlake is the reigning Women’s Texas Amateur champion and Texas Women’s Player of the Year. She also has qualified for multiple USGA national championships, including the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur.

At the 2020 Women’s Stroke Play, held at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin, then SMU junior Serena Shah of Carrollton carded rounds of 76-71-77 to finish 8-over 224 and earned a one-stroke victory over runner-up Zoe Slaughter of Houston. Shah is unable to defend her title, setting the stage for a new champion to be crowned at Comanche Trace.

Format for the championship is 54 holes individual stroke play. The top 30 players with the lowest World Handicap System Indexes must compete in the Championship Flight. All other players will have a choice to play in the Championship Flight. Those players who do not wish to play in the Championship Flight will be split into additional flights after 36 holes.

Live scoring updates, daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available at txga.org once the action gets underway from The Club at Comanche Trace.

Serena Shah Wins Women’s Stroke Play Championship

Briefly: Serena Shah of Carrollton won the Women’s Stroke Play Championship after a final round 5-over-par 77 at Crown Colony Country Club. The Southern Methodist University junior finished at 8-over overall and one stroke better than the field. Nancy Beck of Dallas and Olive Henry of Ennis are co-champions for the First Flight, winning the flight by four strokes. Beck carded a 12-over 84 and Henry carded a 15-over 87 in the final round. Xuesong Hollier of Tomball won the Second Flight by nine strokes after rounds of 94-93-87.

Leaderboard:
1) Serena Shah               Carrollton              76-71-77 | 224
2) Zoe Paige Slaughter   Houston                75-77-73 | 225
3) Jennie Park                 Carrollton              76-74-77 | 227
4) Nicole Vivier               Austin                    76-76-78 | 230
5) Brooke Nolte               Melissa                  80-74-77 | 231
T6) Amelia McKee          Spring                    77-78-77 | 232
T6) Madison Freeman    Spring                    76-80-76 | 232
T6) Hailey Jones              Dallas                    75-79-78 | 232

Final Results

Golf Course: Nestled in the tall pines of East Texas, Crown Colony Country Club originally opened for play in 1979. The beautiful and challenging layout located in Lufkin is a Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin design that has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destination golf courses in Texas. The 18-hole championship golf course has played host to eight TGA Major Championships (the 1982 and 1988 Texas Amateur, 1989 and 2007 Women’s Texas Amateur, 1994 Texas Mid-Amateur, 1983 Texas Senior Amateur and the 2012 and 2017 Texas Four-Ball). Now, it adds the Women’s Stroke Play Championship to its decorated history. The Final Round was contested at 6,052 yards for the Championship Division.

Weather: The temperature reached 89 degrees with steady winds at 5 mph out of the northwest.

Winner’s Info: Shah fired a 5-over 77 in the final round to post 8-over for the championship and win by one stroke. The Southern Methodist University junior remained near the top of the leaderboard throughout the entirety of the championship and found the number one spot late in the second round. Although Zoe Paige Slaughter gave it a good run carding a 1-over-par 72 in her final round, Shah maintained her composure and stuck to her game plan of keeping it simple. This is Shah’s first Women’s Stroke Play Championship win.

“This is a really tough course and it’s tight off the fairway, so just going in with the same mentality I did from the practice round to the first round to the second round was just to keep things simple,” Shah said. “Hit the fairway, hit the green and two putt from there.”

Shah completed the last four holes of her second round on Saturday morning. Not too long after that, she kicked off her Final Round at 10:24 a.m. She carded a 2-over 38 on the front nine and started off with three bogeys at the turn. Although the back side didn’t start as planned, she finished her round strong with birdie-par-par.

“Everything was going pretty well on the front nine and then on the back nine I had a little trouble,” Shah said. “I had a couple bogeys on 10, 11 and 12 and then I think the real turning point was on 16 where I had a birdie putt that I made from 8 feet and that just kind of helped with my momentum going into the last 2 holes. I think that really helped just finish off the last three holes in a good style.”

In Contention: Zoe Paige Slaughter of Houston posted a 9-over 224 for the championship and finished solo second. Jennie Park of Carrollton finished at 11-over to take third. Nicole Vivier of Austin carded a 14-over 230 to take fourth. Brooke Nolte finished at 15-over 231 to take solo fifth. Three players in the Championship Division tied sixth at 16-over 232.

What’s Next: The 2020 season continues with the Women’s Four-Ball at Midland Country Club in Midland August 10-11. You can view the entire Texas Golf Association calendar here.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Crown Colony Country Club as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the Women’s Stroke Play Championship a memorable and successful event. For more information on the Women’s Stroke Play Championship, click here. 

Serena Shah Leads a Weather-Suspended Women’s Stroke Play

Briefly: Round 2 of the Women’s Stroke Play Championship was suspended Friday afternoon due to severe weather and unplayable course conditions. Through 14 holes, Serena Shah of Carrollton leads the Championship Division after being even par through 14 holes. She carded 2 birdies and has 4 holes left to play. Olive Henry of Ennis remains atop of the leaderboard of the Flights Division. She is 7-over-par through nine holes in the second round.

Leaderboard (unofficial):
1) Serena Shah                  Carrollton             +4 (14)
T2) Nicole Vivier               Austin                   +6 (14)
T2) Jennie Park                 Carrollton             +6 (12)
4) Mina Hardin                  Fort Worth            +9 (13)
T5) Amelia McKee             Spring                    +10 (14)
T5) Brooke Nolte               Melissa                   +10 (14)
T5) Madison Freeman       Spring                    +10 (14)
T5) Hailey Jones                 Dallas                     +10 (12)
T5) Zoe Paige Slaughter    Houston                 +10 (12)

Round 2 Results | Final Round Pairings

Golf Course: Nestled in the tall pines of East Texas, Crown Colony Country Club originally opened for play in 1979. The beautiful and challenging layout located in Lufkin is a Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin design that has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destination golf courses in Texas. The 18-hole championship golf course has played host to eight TGA Major Championships (the 1982 and 1988 Texas Amateur, 1989 and 2007 Women’s Texas Amateur, 1994 Texas Mid-Amateur, 1983 Texas Senior Amateur and the 2012 and 2017 Texas Four-Ball). Now, it adds the Women’s Stroke Play Championship to its decorated history. Round 2 is being contested at 6,086 yards for the Championship Division.

Weather: Up until 1:30 p.m., the temperature reached 90 degrees with winds out of the southwest reaching gusts of 26 mph. Play was suspended at 1:30 p.m. due to lightning in the area. Play for the day was suspended at 5:30 p.m. due to unplayable conditions. Round 2 will resume Saturday morning.

In Contention: Serena Shah of Carrollton followed her 4-over 76 in Round 1 with an even par through 14 holes in Round 2. The Southern Methodist University Junior started strong with a 1-under 35 on the front nine and sits at 1-under on the back nine with four holes left to play.

In the Championship Division, Nicole Vivier of Austin through 14 holes and Jennie Park of Carrollton through 12 holes sit tied second at 6-over. Mina Hardin of Fort Worth sits solo fourth at 9-over through 13 holes. With less than 9 holes remaining on the back side, Amelia McKee of Spring, Brooke Nolte of Melissa, Madison Freeman of Spring, Hailey Jones of Dallas and Zoe Paige Slaughter of Houston sit tied fifth at 10-over.

In the Flights Division, Nancy Beck of Dallas sits solo second at 16-over through nine holes. Rosalinda Adams of Spring sits solo third at 17-over through nine holes. Karen Northcutt of The Woodlands sits solo fourth at 18-over through nine holes. Jan Rapp of Dallas sits solo fifth through eight holes at 23-over.

What’s Next: Round 2 will resume for players in the Championship Division at 8:00 a.m. and at 8:45 a.m. for players in the Flights Division. Final Round tee times start Saturday at 9:00 a.m. off No. 1 tee at Crown Colony Country Club.

More Info: For more information on the 2020 Women’s Stroke Play Championship, click here.

Mina Hardin Leads Women’s Stroke Play Championship

Briefly: Mina Hardin of Fort Worth leads the Women’s Stroke Play Championship after an opening round 2-over-par 74. She leads the Championship Division by one shot going into Friday’s second round. Olive Henry of Ennis leads the Flights Division by two shots following her 7-over 79.

Leaderboard:
1) Mina Hardin                   Fort Worth         74
T2) Hailey Jones                 Dallas                  75
T2) Zoe Paige Slaughter    Houston              75
T4) Jennie Park                   Carrollton          76
T4) Nicole Vivier                 Austin                 76
T4) Serena Shah                 Carrollton           76
T4) Madison Freeman       Spring                 76

Round 1 Results | Round 2 Pairings

Golf Course: Nestled in the tall pines of East Texas, Crown Colony Country Club originally opened for play in 1979. The beautiful and challenging layout located in Lufkin is a Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin design that has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destination golf courses in Texas. The 18-hole championship golf course has played host to eight TGA Major Championships (the 1982 and 1988 Texas Amateur, 1989 and 2007 Women’s Texas Amateur, 1994 Texas Mid-Amateur, 1983 Texas Senior Amateur and the 2012 and 2017 Texas Four-Ball). Now, it adds the Women’s Stroke Play Championship to its decorated history. Round 1 was contested at 6,114 yards for the Championship Division.

Weather: The temperature reached 95 degrees with steady winds at 9 mph out of the southwest.

In Contention: Hardin, the first LPGA Tour player from Mexico, carded five birdies for her tournament-leading 74. Her ability to get up and down from around the green was the key to her success during Thursday’s round.

“I made a bunch of birdies which was very fortunate,” Hardin said. “Overall, I am very pleased with my round and you know just come out and have another good day and be thankful for everything I can do.”

Hailey Jones of Dallas and Zoe Paige Slaughter of Houston are tied second at 3-over-par and one shot off the lead. Jennie Park of Carrollton, Nicole Vivier of Austin, Serena Shah of Carrollton and Madison Freeman of Spring are tied fourth at 4-over-par. Three players in the Championship Division are tied eighth at 5-over-par and three shots off the lead.

In the Flights Division, Rosalinda Adams of Spring carded a 9-over 81 and sits two shots off the lead. Karen Northcutt of The Woodlands sits solo third after a 11-over 83. Nancy Beck of Dallas and Lee Ann Riley of Dallas are tied fourth at 12-over-par.

What’s Next: Round 2 starts Friday at 8:00 a.m. off No. 1 tee at Crown Colony Country Club.

More Info: For more information on the 2020 Women’s Stroke Play Championship, click here.

Crown Colony Country Club to Host Women’s Stroke Play Championship

LUFKIN – The Women’s Stroke Play Championship will be played at Crown Colony Country Club from July 30 – Aug. 1. Consistently ranked among the top golf courses in the state, the Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin design will be the stage for some of the top female amateur golfers in Texas.

“The TGA is very excited to return to Crown Colony Country Club for another Major Championship,” TGA Director of Women’s Operations Amy Worthington said. “Since the event was started, the field has continued to get stronger and stronger and showcase some of the most talented players in the state.”

The Women’s Stroke Play Championship was created in 2015 to give female amateur golfers another elite and competitive championship in Texas. Over the past five years, it has become one of the strongest fields on the TGA Women’s calendar.

This year, two recent high school graduates are among the top players in the field. Austin’s Nicole Vivier and Houston’s Zoe Slaughter finished their junior golf careers ranked inside the top-20 in Texas. Vivier, who will play for Southern Methodist University this fall, won the 93rd Texas Junior Amateur last summer at The Clubs of Kingwood’s Island Course. Slaughter, a two-time LJT winner, will play for the University of Houston. Both players will look to add one more title to their name before starting their collegiate golf careers.

Also in this year’s field is Oklahoma State University sophomore Hailey Jones of Dallas. Jones, a three-time LJT Player of the Year, completed her freshman campaign at OSU with a 74.1 scoring average and two top-10 finishes. Despite her first collegiate season being shortened due to Covid-19, Jones enters the Women’s Stroke Play Championship following a trip to the semifinals at the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur at the University of Texas Golf Club earlier this month.

Vivier, Slaughter and Jones are just a few of the talented female amateur golfers competing for this year’s championship. The TGA looks forward to crowning another worthy champion at Crown Colony Country Club.

“We look forward to a competitive week for the entire field,” Worthington said. “Crown Colony is a demanding golf course and will test every facet of a player’s game.”

Nestled in the tall pines of East Texas, Crown Colony Country Club originally opened for play in 1979. The beautiful and challenging layout located in Lufkin has been rated by Golfweek as one of the top destination golf courses in Texas. The 18-hole championship golf course has played host to eight TGA Major Championships (the 1982 and 1988 Texas Amateur, 1989 and 2007 Women’s Texas Amateur, 1994 Texas Mid-Amateur, 1983 Texas Senior Amateur and the 2012 and 2017 Texas Four-Ball). Now, it adds the Women’s Stroke Play Championship to its decorated history.

“It’s a great honor for us,” Crown Colony Country Club Head Golf Professional Ben Burns said. “I know there are a lot of highly ranked golfers in this event. We’re extremely excited to show off the course as well as welcome them to Lufkin.”

Annika Clark won last year’s Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Briggs Ranch Golf Club. The 94th Women’s Texas Amateur champion carded rounds of 70-66-71 to post 9-under for the tournament and claim her second TGA Major Championship. Clark, who now plays professionally, held off the 2017 Women’s Stroke Play champion Hanna Alberto by three strokes. It was Clark’s final amateur tournament and capped off a very successful collegiate golf career.

Other past champions include Hanna Alberto, Hailee Cooper, Kaitlyn Papp, Megan Thothong and Macy Holiday.

The TGA staff continues to monitor the health and safety guidelines from government officials in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following its current health guidelines, the TGA has successfully managed four competitive TGA championships as well as five Legends Junior Tour tournaments since June. The TGA is committed to another safe and successful week at Crown Colony Country Club.

For more information on the Women’s Stroke Play Championship, click here.