Guatemala's Arenas Treads Into Brave New World Of Match Play

By Stuart Hall

Sunriver, Ore. – Beatriz Arenas has long known of the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, she just did not know how to go about qualifying.

So when the Guatemalan National Golf Association asked if she would be interested in attending the Houston, Texas, qualifier, the 59-year-old leapt at the opportunity. Now she’s making the most of her stay.

“I’m very, very nervous, but at the same time this is so exciting,” Arenas said.

After shooting an opening-round 1-under 70 on the Sunriver Resort’s 5,975-yard  Meadows Course on Saturday, Arenas ballooned to a 12-over 82 on Sunday, prompting to fret over whether she had made the cut.

"I have never played match play before, so I don’t really know how I will feel,” said Arenas, who easily qualified with a 10-over 152. “Now, if I make a 7 on a hole, I can forget about it and go on. That will be nice.”

Arenas was introduced to the game by her mother Clara when she was 9. Three times Arenas has been named Guatemala Player of the Year and six times she has represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships.

She never quit the game, but put it on hold several times for the birth of her five children. Her son Luis, who has caddied for her in the past, is currently on the golf team at Western Kentucky.

Arenas arrived in Sunriver on Tuesday, but said she only played two practice rounds, opting instead to focus on practice sessions and catching up with old friends. She attributed Sunday’s high score to frayed nerves.

"No one knew of me before (Saturday),” she said. “Then, I shoot 70 and the media is asking me questions, and people are congratulating me and a lot more people have their eyes on me. But, I did good, and I got into the match play, and that’s what you want.”

Caddiemaster: Plenty of players in the field have opted to ride carts or have caddies toting their bags. But few are carrying their own bag.

Holly Horwood is one of those players.

"I never really thought about it,” said Horwood, who is one of seven Canadians in the field. “I guess if I had been better organized, maybe I would have lined up a caddie.”

Horwood, 55, who qualified for match play with a 19-over 161, said she’s not concerned about the grind that the week could bring should she keep advancing through the match play tree.

“"t will be a piece of cake,” she joked.

Horwood, making her first appearance in the Senior Women’s Am, said the practice of carrying a bag is fairly commonplace in Canada.

"I don’t know why that is, but more girls are starting to carry their own bags,” she said. “Plus, I hate pushing a cart. You have to roll it around the greens and then if you pick the wrong club, you have to go back and get it. I just like having my bag right there with me.”

Horwood advanced to the Senior Women’s Am through the Eugene, Ore., qualifier. And she did so with a set of rental clubs after hers were lost in transit.

On the clock: No one could accuse the threesome of Gail Burden, Sarah Haas and Deborah Anderson of slow play. The trio teed off at 12:30 and efficiently got around the Meadows Course in 4 hours, 10 minutes. They were 23 minutes under their allotted time.

“Not bad for a bunch of old women,” said Haas to one of the USGA officials. “This should be a lesson to all of those juniors and mid-ams. If we can play fast, they should be able to.”

Anderson, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., shot 77 and Burden, of Winfield, Kansas, shot 79 to move into match play. Haas, of Carterville, Ill., shot 87 and missed the cut.

A feather hazard: The ninth hole proved to be a precarious one Sunday afternoon. The 360-yard, par-4 was not overly demanding as much as a flock of geese which kept meandering onto the fairway.

USGA officials routinely took a cart to shepherd them back to the adjacent pond. Eventually, the geese made it across the fairway and flew off, but not before some rather amusing moments.

Names, notes and notables: Anne Sander, of Seattle, Wash., made her 21st USGA Senior Women’s Amateur appearance this week, but will not be around for match play after a 23-over 165. Marlene Streit, who tied Sander for the most number of appearances in the field, advanced to match play. … Three Oregonians advanced to match play with Rachel Whittington, of Lake Oswego, leading the group with a 12-over 154 score. Mary Budke, of Eugene, and reinstated amateur Loree McKay, of Portland, each qualified at 13 over. 

Stuart Hall is a writer for the Golf Press Association whose work has appeared previously on USGA Championship Web sites.