Creekmore, Eaton First-Round Leaders In Senior Women's Amateur Qualifying

Hot Springs, Va. – Carolyn Creekmore, 57, of Dallas, Texas, made a hole-in-one on her way to a 72 to share the lead with Kim Eaton, 50, of Greeley, Colo., in the first round of stroke-play qualifying for the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at the 5,515-yard, par-70 Cascades Course at The Homestead.

Kim Eaton's 72 was good enough for a share of first after day one of Senior Women's Amateur stroke-play qualifying. (USGA Museum)

Creekmore, the 2004 champion, aced the 147-yard 11th hole with a 5-iron and then made only one birdie on her way to a 2-over-par round. Eaton and Creekmore lead Anna Schultz of Rockwall, Texas, by a stroke. Schultz won the 2007 Senior Women’s Amateur.

Six players were tied at 74, including 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Joan Higgins of Glendora, Calif., and Noreen Mohler of Bethlehem, Pa., a former professional who was recently named captain of the 2010 USA Curtis Cup team.

Creekmore said she went up a club on the 11th hole because the wind was in her face. “It was a really good shot and landed about eight feet short of the hole,” she said. “I had my back turned and one of my group said, ‘Go in.’ I turned around and saw it roll in.”

Creekmore also birdied the par-3 fourth hole, sinking a 12-foot putt. Her lone disaster was a double bogey on the third hole, when she tried to punch a shot under a tree but hit the shot thin and over the green.

“A couple of holes have my number, but as the week goes on I’ll get used to them,” said Creekmore.

Eaton is executive director of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. She made three birdies, all on par-3 holes with putts ranging from 10 to 20 feet.

	Past champion Anna Schultz is one stroke off the lead for medalist honors after shooting a 73 on Saturday. (USGA Museum)

“There are a lot of placement shots on this course but I hit my driver straighter than any club in the bag so I hit driver on every hole except the par 3s,” Eaton said. “People think, oh, 5,500 yards is short, but the course plays longer than that.”

Creekmore and Schultz are united this week in a common effort. They’re playing in honor of their fellow Texan, Toni Wiesner. Wiesner was runner-up in the Senior Women’s Amateur in 1997, 2000 and 2008, before she died of cancer earlier this year. Both players are wearing royal blue ribbons on their golf caps to honor their friend.

“Creekie and I both want to be in the finals for Toni,” said Schultz.

Schultz shot 73 but struggled with her tee shots.

“My driving wasn’t pretty until the seventh hole,” said Schultz, who played the inward nine first. “I told myself to just take my driver back a little on the inside and finally I hit it great. The tee shot on the seventh was the first good drive I had hit. I hit a good one on the ninth too.”

Despite poor driving, Schultz hit her approach shots to within 10 or 15 feet of the hole to save her round.

After Sunday’s second round of stroke-play qualifying, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers, who will advance to match play beginning on Monday. The championship concludes with a scheduled 18-hole match-play final on Thursday.

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

Story written by Rhonda Glenn, manager of communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.

Hot Springs, Va. – Results of the first round of stroke play Saturday at the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at the 5,515-yard, par-70 Cascades Course at The Homestead:

Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas 37-35--72

Kim Eaton, Greeley, Colo. 37-35--72

Anna Schultz, Rockwall, Texas 38-35--73

Joan Higgins, Glendora, Calif. 38-36--74

Kate Grace, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 37-37--74

Lynn Thompson, Cincinnati, Ohio 38-36--74

Noreen Mohler, Bethlehem, Pa. 37-37--74

Pat Brogden, Garner, N.C. 39-35--74

Sandy Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif. 37-37--74

Boodie McGurn, Richmond, Va. 36-39--75

Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif. 34-41--75

Jackie Little, Canada 36-40--76

Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Md. 37-39--76

Nancy Smith, North Port, Fla. 38-38--76

Robyn Puckett, Irvine, Calif. 39-37--76

Shelley Savage, Alexandria, Va. 38-38--76

Beatriz Arenas, Guatemala 37-40--77

Brenda Pictor, Marietta, Ga. 38-39--77

Cheryl Grigg, Sea Island, Ga. 39-38--77

Dana Harrity, North Hampton, N.H. 36-41--77

Lou Hart, Meridian, Miss. 37-40--77

Mimi Hoffman, Alexandria, Va. 36-41--77

Rebecca Montgelas, Darien, Conn. 40-37--77

Teresa Cleland, Syracuse, N.Y. 38-39--77

Alison Reifers, Dublin, Ohio 38-40--78

Ann Probert, New Vernon, N.J. 39-39--78

Anne Carr, Seattle, Wash. 36-42--78

Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley, Pa. 43-35--78

Cindy Bryniarski, Durango, Colo. 39-39--78

Cindy Pallatino, Scottsdale, Ariz. 42-36--78

Donna Young, Ewing, N.J. 40-38--78

Frances Gacos, Flemington, N.J. 40-38--78

Jill Christiansen, Lagrange, Ill. 40-38--78

Joanne Catlin, Ashburnham, Mass. 39-39--78

Karen Brannon, Poway, Calif. 37-41--78

Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif. 41-37--78

Terry Ehrhardt, Waco, Texas 40-38--78

Diane Lang, Jamaica 39-40--79

Joan Garety, Ada, Mich. 38-41--79

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

Laura Carson, Lake Bluff, Ill. 41-38--79

Lecia Alexander, Stafford, Texas 42-37--79

Lindsay Wortham, Richmond, Va. 38-41--79

Marian Barker, Lubbock, Texas 39-40--79

Marlene Stewart Streit, Canada 39-40--79

Mary Flynn, Eden Prairie, Minn. 38-41--79

Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla. 39-40--79

Nancy Beck, Dallas, Texas 38-41--79

Tanna Lee Richard, Fort Smith, Ark. 41-38--79

Cindy Morris, Portsmouth, Va. 41-39--80

Claudia Pilot, Austin, Minn. 39-41--80

Daryl Nels, Beavercreek, Ohio 42-38--80

Judy Miller, Tucson, Ariz. 39-41--80

Kelly Koselek, Canada 38-42--80

Kim Kaul, Boston, N.Y. 36-44--80

Lisa McGill, Philadelphia, Pa. 40-40--80

Maggie Weder, Greenville, N.C. 42-38--80

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

Marianne Towersey, Pebble Beach, Calif. 39-41--80

Martha Lang, Birmingham, Ala. 40-40--80

Roberta Hunt, North Attleboro, Mass. 41-39--80

Annette Gaiotti, Holladay, Utah 39-42--81

Carol Sarkissian, Chino Hills, Calif. 41-40--81

Cheryl Brayman, East Hills, N.Y. 38-43--81

Claudia Cenko, Beverly Hills, Mich. 39-42--81

Diane Bohl, Kissimmee, Fla. 40-41--81

Diane Masterson, Cambridge, Ohio 41-40--81

Katie Falk, Milwaukee, Wis. 38-43--81

Lida Tingley, Bloomfield, Conn. 40-41--81

Mary Budke, Eugene, Ore. 37-44--81

Mitsue Lewis, San Diego, Calif. 44-37--81

Peggy Woodard, Virginia Beach, Va. 39-42--81

Sherry Herman, Farmingdale, N.J. 40-41--81

Sue O'Connor, Lake Bluff, Ill. 39-42--81

Sue Raines, Florence, Ala. 42-39--81

Susan Dye, England 41-40--81

Tina Barker, Castro Valley, Calif. 38-43--81

Barbara Hoversten, Castle Rock, Colo. 39-43--82

Cheryll Damphouse, Canada 40-42--82

Connie Shorb, York, Pa. 40-42--82

Gail Burden, Winfield, Kan. 37-45--82

Ivy Steinberg, Canada 38-44--82

Jan Phillips, Bonita Springs, Fla. 40-42--82

Sarah Bowman, Parkman, Wyo. 42-40--82

Shelly Harden, San Antonio, Texas 39-43--82

Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz. 46-37--83

Chris Utermarck, Germany 44-39--83

Ellen McGowan, Wicomico, Va. 41-42--83

Leslie Wilk, Agoura Hills, Calif. 39-44--83

Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta, Ga. 35-48--83

Patty Kimball, Scottsdale, Ariz. 42-41--83

Reggie Parker, Hobe Sound, Fla. 40-43--83

Bev Kim, Wahiawa, Hawaii 40-44--84

Bonnie Catto, South Hadley, Mass. 43-41--84

Bonnie Grizzard, Rome, Ga. 40-44--84

Ellie Layton, Minneapolis, Minn. 42-42--84

Ginny Marshall, Canada 44-40--84

Jo-Ann Lindsay, Edina, Minn. 42-42--84

Madelaine Campbell, Newport Beach, Calif. 41-43--84

Maggie Scott, Charleston, Tenn. 41-43--84

Marylou Henderson, Canada 43-41--84

Nancy Fitzgerald, Carmel, Ind. 45-39--84

Anne Washington, Charlotte, N.C. 43-42--85

Diane Acosta, San Pedro, Calif. 40-45--85

Kate Johnson, Sleepy Hollow, Ill. 38-47--85

Marlu Allan, Scottsdale, Ariz. 41-44--85

Sheila Dagucon, Sonoita, Ariz. 40-45--85

Tina Jones, St. Louis, Mo. 43-42--85

Beth Clippinger, Centennial, Colo. 40-46--86

Jean Mowry, Hot Springs Village, Ark. 41-45--86

Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. 42-44--86

Mary Doyen, Denver, Colo. 43-43--86

Kibbe Reilly, Providence, R.I. 45-42--87

Rae Higdon, Boonville, Ind. 40-47--87

Angela Stewart, Greenville, N.C. 41-47--88

Anne Sander, Seattle, Wash. 44-44--88

Diana Schwab, Dayton, Ohio 45-43--88

Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa. 44-44--88

Jewell Malick, Rockwall, Texas 43-45--88

Kelly Hollister, Phoenix, Ariz. 44-44--88

Sandra Jackson, New York, N.Y. 49-39--88

Jo Johnson, Carlsbad, Calif. 45-44--89

Laurie Steenrod, Aurora, Colo. 45-44--89

Nadine Elliott, Bermuda Dunes, Calif. 44-45--89

Debra Horning, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 44-46--90

Sue Davis, Carbondale, Colo. 44-46--90

Susan Rampelberg, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 41-49--90

Jeannie Lallensack, Tucson, Ariz. 44-47--91

Karen Fisher, Rockville, Md. 41-50--91

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

Kim Jordan, La Habra, Calif. 44-49--93

Melissa Sage, Charlotte, N.C. DQ