San Diego 's Marcia Butler Holds First Round Lead At USGA Senior Women's Amateur

Santa Cruz, Calif. - Marcia Butler, 55, of San Diego, Calif., made three birdies on her way to a 4-over-par 76 Saturday to hold the lead after the first round of stroke play at the USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club . The key, however, was having just one 3-putt on the treacherous sloping greens that put plenty of bite into the 5,790-yard layout.

Carolyn Creekmore, 52, of Dallas, Texas ; Robin Weiss Donnelley, 51, of Lake Forest, Ill.; and Taffy Brower, 59, of Boyton Beach, Fla., were one stroke back at 77.

"Before the day started, I would have taken it in a heartbeat," Butler said of her 76. "I'm not surprised because I know what I can do, but I don't play many tournaments and have trouble taking my game into competition."

She reached the semifinals of the 2002 Senior Women's Amateur, her first USGA event since playing in a U.S. Girls' Junior as a teenager.

In contrast, the three who closely challenged Butler, are veterans of countless national golf events.

"I'm so happy I could kiss the ground," said a relieved Creekmore, who started her day 6 over par through four holes. "I love this golf course. It's hard for all the right reasons. You better have a plan to get around this course, or else."

"That's one of the best 77s I've ever had," echoed Brower, who won this year's Women's Southern Amateur against a much younger field. "Everybody knows how hard this golf course is. You just have to keep fighting all the way, and I never give up."

"I didn't know what to expect," said the 51-year-old Donnelley, who walked away from competitive golf in 2000 after playing on three USA Curtis Cup teams and winning the 1989 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. "I remember playing the Women's Amateur here in 1986 and having someone describe the seventh hole as being so narrow your group had to walk single file down the fairway."

Four more players finished with 79, and six had 80, including four-time champion Carol Semple Thompson, 55, of Sewickley, Pa., who rallied to finish to play the last 11 holes in even par. Sandy Woodruff, 55, of Santa Cruz, Calif., the reigning and eight-time women's club champion at Pasatiempo, shot 82.

"This is as nervous as I've ever been in my entire life," said Woodruff, who played before a small group of club members and neighbors, some of whom displayed encouraging signs of, "Go, Sandy, Go," on their porches and roofs. "This is as hard as any golf course I've ever played. I'm disappointed, but I think a couple 82s will be okay. I am still proud of this golf course, even though it beat me up."

Semple Thompson is one of five past champions in the field. The defending champion is 70-year-old Marlene Streit of Canada, who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in mid-November. Streit shot 86 in her first round, one better than the 64th scorer.

Play continues Sunday with the second round of stroke play for this age 50-and-older championship before the field of 156 is trimmed to the top 64 scorers, who will advance to match play. The Championship runs through Thursday.

Tucked along the northern California coastal hills between San Francisco and Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo is perhaps best known for being the home course of Juli Inkster, who honed her game here and played on the boys high school team before heading off to nearby San Jose State University and a Hall of Fame professional career.

"Stay below the hole," was her advice to everyone in the field.

The Senior Women's Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations.  You can reach him at csmith@usga.org.

Santa Cruz, Calif. - Scores after the first round of stroke play at the USGA Senior Women's Amateur, played Saturday at the 5,790-yard, par 36-36-72 Pasatiempo Golf Club:

Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif., 39-37--76

Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas, 36-41--77

Robin Donnelley, Lake Forest, Ill., 38-39--77

Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla., 36-41--77

Debbie Franco, Upland, Calif., 36-42--78

Martha Lang, Mandeville, La., 40-38--78

Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif., 38-40--78

Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa., 38-41--79

Karen Ferree, Hilton Head, S.C., 38-41--79

Patty Crigler, Bayfield, Colo., 40-39--79

Rose Pagan, Kula Maui, Hawaii, 42-37--79

Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley, Pa., 36-44--80

Claudeen Lindberg, Atlanta, Ga., 39-41--80

Marcia Fisher, Canby, Ore., 39-41--80

Marian Barker, Lubbock, Texas, 38-42--80

Reggie Parker, Hobe Sound, Fla., 40-40--80

Toni Wiesner, Fort Worth, Texas, 38-42--80

Ann Lahey, Kentfield, Calif., 40-41--81

Karen Mabli, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., 44-37--81

Lori Elliott, Sparks, Nev., 40-41--81

Cynthia Curry, Charlotte, N.C., 39-43--82

Maj-Britt Heden, Sweden, 40-42--82

Sandy Szczerbin, San Ramon, Calif., 40-42--82

Sandy Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif., 39-43--82

T L Allen, Dallas, Texas, 40-42--82

Ann Probert, New Vernon, N.J., 40-43--83

Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah, 39-44--83

Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 41-42--83

Karen Oldham, Naples, Fla., 42-41--83

Kitty Colliflower, Rochester, N.Y., 41-42--83

Lynn Larson, Aurora, Colo., 42-41--83

Mary Budke, Eugene, Ore., 39-44--83

Susie-Q Conklin, Sunnyvale, Calif., 40-43--83

Alison Murdoch, Canada, 39-45--84

Anne Sander, Pauma Valley, Calif., 40-44--84

Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz., 41-43--84

Bonnie George, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., 42-42--84

Jean Smith, Boise, Idaho, 41-43--84

Joni Wexler, Del Mar, Calif., 41-43--84

Martha Mc Alister, Maumelle, Ark., 44-40--84

Nancy Smith, North Port, Fla., 43-41--84

Sherry Bowman, Manassas, Va., 40-44--84

Anne Carr, Seattle, Wash., 43-42--85

Barbara Israel, New York, N.Y., 42-43--85

Carol Davies, Garrett Park, Md., 43-42--85

Jo-Ann Lindsay, Edina, Minn., 40-45--85

Kathleen Hunt, Buffalo, N.Y., 42-43-85

Mary S Smith, Sheridan, Wyo., 44-41--85

Nancy Fitzgerald, Indianapolis, Ind., 40-45--85

R Andi Anderson, Woodstock, Ga., 41-44--85

Alice Harcourt, Fallbrook, Calif., 40-46--86

Ann Watkins, Stillwater, Okla., 42-44--86

Anne Zahn, Minnetonka Beach, Minn., 40-46--86

Becky Uritus, Columbus, Ohio, 44-42--86

Jill Christiansen, Lagrange, Ill., 45-41--86

Marlene Streit, Canada, 41-45--86

Nancy Chaffee, Barrington, R.I., 42-44--86

Sharon Keil, The Villages, Fla., 44-42--86

Shelley Mayer, San Marcos, Calif., 40-46--86

Barbara Schmid, Grand Rapids, Mich., 38-49--87

Carole Tremblay, Dominican Republic, 37-50--87

Kathie Hetherington, Alamo, Calif., 44-43--87

Nancy Markey, San Francisco, Calif., 43-44--87

Susan Rampelberg, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., 42-45--87

Barbara Pagana, Selinsgrove, Pa., 40-48--88

Bonnie Tyler, Boca Grande, Fla., 43-45--88

Dianne Yelovich, Pinehurst, N.C., 43-45--88

Jericho Trianna, Reston, Va., 45-43--88

Kellie Magee, Mill Valley, Calif., 43-45--88

Mary Ann Beattie, St Louis, Mo., 43-45--88

Mary Schmidt, Houston, Texas, 41-47--88

Pat Harrop-Schumacher, Sequim, Wash., 46-42--88

Rita Albertson, Scottsdale, Ariz., 42-46--88

Carol Peffer, Mentor, Ohio, 45-44--89

Cheryl Brayman, East Hills, N.Y., 44-45--89

Ginger Essick, Pleasanton, Calif., 39-50--89

Jacque Cooper, Heath, Texas, 43-46--89

Nancy Harris, Minnetonka, Minn., 41-48--89

Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C., 45-44--89

Beverly Kim, Honolulu, Hawaii, 46-44--90

Debbie Mooksang, Valrico, Fla., 46-44--90

Donna Frank, Bakersfield, Calif., 44-46--90

Eileen Schweinitzer, Vista, Calif., 45-45--90

Katie Falk, Milwaukee, Wis., 45-45--90

Marianne Towersey, Newport Beach, Calif., 41-49--90

Pat Milton, Akron, Ohio, 45-45--90

Patty Lang, Meadville, Pa., 45-45--90

Sue Tucker, Atlanta, Ga., 48-42--90

Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Fla., 46-44--90

Janet Weber, Gold Canyon, Ariz., 44-47--91

Kathy Baker, Greenwich, Conn., 44-47--91

Mima Suwa, Sunnyvale, Calif., 47-44--91

Nannette Wheelis, Waco, Texas, 49-42--91

Payton Davies, Horseshoe Bay, Texas, 43-48-91

Rachel Hallgarth, Bedford, N.H., 45-46--91

Ann Cowan, Elk City, Okla., 45-47--92

Carol Ellis, Minneapolis, Minn., 46-46--92

Christine Giza, Queen Creek, Ariz., 48-44--92

Cookie English, Avon, Ind., 46-46--92

Danna King, Mission Viejo, Calif., 49-43--92

Jean Mowry, Webster City, Iowa, 46-46--92

Joyce Harlukowicz, Rochester Hills, Mich., 45-47--92

Judith Turco, Temecula, Calif., 43-49--92

Sally Tomlinson, Merced, Calif., 42-50--92

Shirley Williams, Baltimore, Md., 44-48--92

Sue Pidgeon, England, 45-47--92

Anne Gajda, Ypsilanti, Mich., 45-48--93

Marci Likens, Winter Springs, Fla., 44-49--93

Mazzie Gogolak, Naples, Fla., 48-45--93

Sybil Davis, Okatie, S.C., 46-47--93

Donna Brown, Bowling Green, Ky., 49-45--94

Gwen Tierney, Anderson, Ind., 46-48--94

Mary Lou Henderson, Canada, 48-46--94

Tina Mac Donald, Dallas, Texas, 44-50--94

Rose Marie Warren, Auburn, Calif., 50-45--95

Sissy Davies, Sugar Land, Texas, 47-48--95

Suzy Leprino, Denver, Colo., 45-50--95

Barbara Millslagle, Holuloa, Hawaii, 47-49--96

Carol Dick, Lakewood, Wash., 48-48--96

Leslie Page, Wood Dale, Ill., 46-50--96

Nancy Baxter, Boulder, Colo., 43-53--96

Susan Cummings, Greenvlle, S.C., 49-47--96

Yoshiko Mizuno, Greenville, S.C., 44-53--97

Brigid Shanley Lamb, Mendham, N.J., 46-52--98

Ann Lissau, Tulsa, Okla., 51-49--100

Lily Yao, Honolulu, Hawaii, 48-52--100

Mary Dyrseth, Mahtomedi, Minn., 47-55--102

Jo Glenn, Tulsa, Okla., 55-48--103

Linda Miller, Mount Holly, N.J., 45-59--104

Connie Cope, Tulsa, Okla., 45-62--107

Biac Frame, Honolulu, Hawaii, 52-57--109

Suzie Kimi, Honolulu, Hawaii, 58-59--117