Five Share Early First-Round Lead At USGA Senior Women's Amateur

By Rhonda Glenn, USGA

Hot Springs, Va. – Joan Higgins, the 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion from Glendora, Calif., Sandy Woodruff of Santa Cruz, Calif., 2010 USA Curtis Cup captain Noreen Mohler of Bethlehem, Pa., Lynn Thompson of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pat Brogden of Garner, N.C., took the early lead in the first round of stroke-play qualifying on Saturday at the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at the 5,515-yard, par-70 Cascades Course at The Homestead.

Reigning U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Joan Higgins was one of five players in the early wave to card 4-over 74s on the Cascades Course. (USGA Museum)

All five carded 4-over-par 74s in ideal conditions.

The other half of the 132-player field had afternoon starting times, including defending champion Diane Lang of Jamaica and seven-time USGA champion Carol Semple Thompson of Sewickley, Pa.

Higgins, who at 52 became the oldest U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion in history last year at Barton Hills Country Club, only had one birdie on the 480-yard, par-5 17th hole. But Higgins was consistent in the rest of her play to join the early leaders.

Mohler, 55,  is a former professional who played on the LPGA tour in 1984-85, with her best finish a tie for 12th. A semifinalist in the 1975 U.S. Women’s Amateur, she was recently named captain of the 2010 USA Curtis Cup team. She was pleased with her short game in the first round.

“I putted okay today and I didn’t have any three-putt greens,” said Mohler, who qualified for last month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur.  “I made a couple of 4- and 5-footers. The break drives you crazy on these greens. You have to be comfortable with your read and your pace.”

Woodruff was pleasantly surprised at her score, saying she just competes at the Senior Women’s Amateur to have fun.

“There weren’t any highlights,” she said. “It was pretty steady. I putted fairly well. You have to be so respectful of these greens.”

Other notable morning-round scores included a 79 by three-time champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit of Canada and an 80 by 1988 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Martha Lang of Birmingham, Ala., the vice chairman of the USGA Women’s Committee.

The field will be cut to the low 64 scorers after Sunday’s second round of stroke play. Match play begins on Monday and the championship concludes with an 18-hole final on Thursday.

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

Rhonda Glenn is a manager of communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.