MEGHAN STASI WINS HARDER INVITATIONAL BY EIGHT STROKES
+Jan+2014.jpg)
Picture by courtesy of Tracy Wilcox (GolfWeek)
Four-time USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion
Meghan Stasi of Oakland Park, Florida broke clear of the field with a final round of two-under-par 70 for a one-over-par 289 total in warm but windy conditions to win the 59th Harder Hall Invitational by the runaway margin of eight strokes at the Harder Hall Country Club, Sebring in Florida today.
Joint runners up on 297 were fellow Americans Hannah Pietila (78 for 297) and Emmy Martin (78 for 297).
Lincolnshire's India Clyburn in with a chance at the start of the final round could do no better than a closing round of eight-over 80 in the high wind to finish a nevertheless creditable fifth on 302.
A shot behind in sixth place was another British youngster, former Scottish girls U18 champion Lauren Whyte from the St Regulus Club, St Andrews.
Lauren had her worst round of the four, a 78 for 303.
Wrexham's Chloe Williams and Sammy Fuller from Roehampton tied for 11th place on 306. Welsh cap Chloe shot a closing 78, while Sammy had a 77.
England's Hally Leadbetter, US-based daughter of famous coach David Leadbetter, and Wentworth's Annabel Dimmock both finish on the 307 mark. Hally had an 80 on the final circuit, Annabel a 77.
Stirling student Eilidh Briggs from Kilmacolm shot an 80 in the last round to make the top 20 ... in 19th place.
Olympic Games GB women's hockey team bronze medallist Chloe Rogers from Braintree Essex closed with a 79 for 310 - a shot behind Ireland's Chloe Ryan from Limerwick. Ryan had a 78 for 311.
Brogan Townend from Pleasington, Lancashsire had a final round of 79 for 313.
Scot Iona Stephen, a Ranfurly Castle GC memeber, finished on 316 after a final round of 83
Stirling student Hannah McCook from Nethy Brige closed on 324 with an 83, the same score and same total as Manchester's Georgia Oboh.
The final three Stirling students, Tara Mactaggart from Minto, England's Georgia Gillind and Jordana Graham from Southerness finished on 334, 335 and 344 respectively. Tara and Georgia were both blown away to final-round 85s while Jordana had an 86.
Winner Stasi, a member of the winning USA team in the 2008 Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews (when her surname was Bolger), tamed the wind with four birdies and two bogeys and a bogey-free back nine.
Joint runners up on 297 were fellow Americans Hannah Pietila (78 for 297) and Emmy Martin (78 for 297).
Lincolnshire's India Clyburn in with a chance at the start of the final round could do no better than a closing round of eight-over 80 in the high wind to finish a nevertheless creditable fifth on 302.
A shot behind in sixth place was another British youngster, former Scottish girls U18 champion Lauren Whyte from the St Regulus Club, St Andrews.
Lauren had her worst round of the four, a 78 for 303.
Wrexham's Chloe Williams and Sammy Fuller from Roehampton tied for 11th place on 306. Welsh cap Chloe shot a closing 78, while Sammy had a 77.
England's Hally Leadbetter, US-based daughter of famous coach David Leadbetter, and Wentworth's Annabel Dimmock both finish on the 307 mark. Hally had an 80 on the final circuit, Annabel a 77.
Stirling student Eilidh Briggs from Kilmacolm shot an 80 in the last round to make the top 20 ... in 19th place.
Olympic Games GB women's hockey team bronze medallist Chloe Rogers from Braintree Essex closed with a 79 for 310 - a shot behind Ireland's Chloe Ryan from Limerwick. Ryan had a 78 for 311.
Brogan Townend from Pleasington, Lancashsire had a final round of 79 for 313.
Scot Iona Stephen, a Ranfurly Castle GC memeber, finished on 316 after a final round of 83
Stirling student Hannah McCook from Nethy Brige closed on 324 with an 83, the same score and same total as Manchester's Georgia Oboh.
The final three Stirling students, Tara Mactaggart from Minto, England's Georgia Gillind and Jordana Graham from Southerness finished on 334, 335 and 344 respectively. Tara and Georgia were both blown away to final-round 85s while Jordana had an 86.
Winner Stasi, a member of the winning USA team in the 2008 Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews (when her surname was Bolger), tamed the wind with four birdies and two bogeys and a bogey-free back nine.
In the Forever Forty-Nine division, 2012 champion
Martha Leach of Hebron, Kentucky tied with 2007 and 2008 champion Diane Lang with a
72 hole total of 314.
In the Ben Roman Division, Nancy Jackson of
Boynton Beach, Florida shot 84 for a three day total of 247, to win the division by
one shot over Clate Aydlett of Elizabeth City, NC who carded an 82 for a 248
total.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from USA unless stated
289 Meghan Stasi 73 72 74 70
297 Hannah Pietila 76 67 76 78, Emmy Martin 76 67 76 78
299 Kristina Merkle 75 72 76 76
302 India Clyburn (England) 72 77 73 80
303 Lauren Whyte (Scotland) 73 76 76 78, Emma Pietila 81 75 75 72
304 Isabelle Lendl 79 78 69 78
305 Lauren Coughlin 80 75 70 80, Minami Levonowich 76 79 77 73
306 Chloe Williams (Wales) 75 74 79 78, Sammy Fuller (England) 73 79 77 77, Ali Cowan 76 77 77 76
307 Hally Leadbetter (England) 75 78 74 80, Annabel Dimmock (England) 80 73 77 77
308 August Kim 80 77 70 81, Briana Mao 78 79 74 77, Cecily Overbey 7t 78 79 76
309 Eilidh Briggs (Scotland) 74 78 77 80.
310 Cristine McQuiston 79 73 78 80, Chloe Rogers (England) 76 78 77 70.
SELECTED FINAL TOTALS
311 Chloe Ryan (Ireland) 76 81 76 78
313 Brogan Townend (England) 80 78 76 79
316 Iona Stephen (Scotland) 77 79 77 83
323 Carol Semple Thompson 81 81 80 81
324 Hannah McCook (Scotland) 81 79 81 83. Georgia Oboh (England) 79 82 80 83.
334 Tara Mactaggart 82 85 83 84
335 Georgia Gilling (England) 81 79 81 84
344 Jordana Graham (Scotland) 89 84 85 86.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from USA unless stated
289 Meghan Stasi 73 72 74 70
297 Hannah Pietila 76 67 76 78, Emmy Martin 76 67 76 78
299 Kristina Merkle 75 72 76 76
302 India Clyburn (England) 72 77 73 80
303 Lauren Whyte (Scotland) 73 76 76 78, Emma Pietila 81 75 75 72
304 Isabelle Lendl 79 78 69 78
305 Lauren Coughlin 80 75 70 80, Minami Levonowich 76 79 77 73
306 Chloe Williams (Wales) 75 74 79 78, Sammy Fuller (England) 73 79 77 77, Ali Cowan 76 77 77 76
307 Hally Leadbetter (England) 75 78 74 80, Annabel Dimmock (England) 80 73 77 77
308 August Kim 80 77 70 81, Briana Mao 78 79 74 77, Cecily Overbey 7t 78 79 76
309 Eilidh Briggs (Scotland) 74 78 77 80.
310 Cristine McQuiston 79 73 78 80, Chloe Rogers (England) 76 78 77 70.
SELECTED FINAL TOTALS
311 Chloe Ryan (Ireland) 76 81 76 78
313 Brogan Townend (England) 80 78 76 79
316 Iona Stephen (Scotland) 77 79 77 83
323 Carol Semple Thompson 81 81 80 81
324 Hannah McCook (Scotland) 81 79 81 83. Georgia Oboh (England) 79 82 80 83.
334 Tara Mactaggart 82 85 83 84
335 Georgia Gilling (England) 81 79 81 84
344 Jordana Graham (Scotland) 89 84 85 86.
 |
|
L to R: Emmy Martin, Meghan Stasi,
Hannah Pietila
|
MEGHAN STASI HOPING VICTORY WILL GET HER
BACK INTO THE USA TEAM FOR CURTIS CUP
GOLFWEEK REPORT
“I actually feel young today,” said Stasi, who finished eight strokes ahead of a pair of 18-year-olds to win her first Harder Hall title.
For nearly 20 years this championship has been dominated by hotshot juniors and college All-Americans, many of whom have gone on to LPGA fame.
When tournament chair Carol Semple Thompson handed Stasi her hardware for the week, it must have been a bit like looking in the mirror.
Thompson, a three-time winner of this event, is an amateur legend in the women’s game, and Stasi, a four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Am champ, is well on her way.
Stasi, a former head coach at Mississippi and a Tulane alumna, made the turn Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Hannah Pietila, a freshman at Tennessee. Pietila, however, missed three consecutive greens to start the back nine and failed to get up and down each time.
Stasi birdied two holes on the inward nine (one from a 75-yard pitch-out from behind a tree) to steadily increase her lead as the sunny, windswept afternoon wore on.
Stasi closed with a 70, the day’s low round, to finish eight strokes ahead of Pietila (78) and Emmy Martin (74), another 18-year-old and Texas Christian University signee.
Stasi finished at one-over 289 for the tournament after rounds of 73-72-74-70. This marked her second victory on the Orange Blossom Circuit. Stasi also won the 2012 Jones/Doherty Championship.
Pietila later conceded that she had no idea she was chasing a four-time USGA champion.
“I’ve been with her on the cart for two days,” said Pietila, laughing.
By far the most decorated player in the field outside of Thompson, Stasi isn’t sure whether the Harder Hall victory will impress the USA Curtis Cup selection committee for the June match against GB and I at St Louis, Missouri.
She wasn’t among the 14 players invited to the practice session scheduled for later this month at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Eight players will be chosen to represent the U.S. June 6-8.
When asked if she was surprised to be left off the practice squad, Stasi offered a “no comment.”
Unlike the Walker Cup, there is no guaranteed spot for a mid-amateur on the Curtis Cup team. Stasi says that’s just fine, noting the men’s mid-amateur game is considerably deeper than the women’s side.
Indeed, Stasi is one of the few female mid-amateurs who can compete with young junior and college hotshots, and she carries the biggest schedule of her peers, playing in amateur events worldwide.
Stasi, whose surname was Bolger at the time, met her husband-to-be, Danny (“Staz”), on January 13, 2008, which was the day she found out she had made the Curtis Cup team for St Andrews that year.
Stasi’s only Curtis Cup appearance is among the biennial competition's most memorable as Danny Stasi proposed on the Swilken Bridge at the 18th hole in Andrews after the U.S. beat GB and I at the "Home of Golf."
Danny Stasi owns Shuk ’N Dive Cajun Cafe in Fort Lauderdale, and with the New Orleans Saints playing the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs, Stasi was keen to get back home Saturday night to catch the second half.
There’s already much to celebrate.
BY BETH ANN NICHOLS
Meghan Stasi rounded the curve just past the 18th tee
box and heard a loud thud. Her golf bag had fallen off the back of the
cart. It was the only thing that slowed the 35-year-old’s run at the
59th Harder Hall Invitational title.“I actually feel young today,” said Stasi, who finished eight strokes ahead of a pair of 18-year-olds to win her first Harder Hall title.
For nearly 20 years this championship has been dominated by hotshot juniors and college All-Americans, many of whom have gone on to LPGA fame.
When tournament chair Carol Semple Thompson handed Stasi her hardware for the week, it must have been a bit like looking in the mirror.
Thompson, a three-time winner of this event, is an amateur legend in the women’s game, and Stasi, a four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Am champ, is well on her way.
Stasi, a former head coach at Mississippi and a Tulane alumna, made the turn Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Hannah Pietila, a freshman at Tennessee. Pietila, however, missed three consecutive greens to start the back nine and failed to get up and down each time.
Stasi birdied two holes on the inward nine (one from a 75-yard pitch-out from behind a tree) to steadily increase her lead as the sunny, windswept afternoon wore on.
Stasi closed with a 70, the day’s low round, to finish eight strokes ahead of Pietila (78) and Emmy Martin (74), another 18-year-old and Texas Christian University signee.
Stasi finished at one-over 289 for the tournament after rounds of 73-72-74-70. This marked her second victory on the Orange Blossom Circuit. Stasi also won the 2012 Jones/Doherty Championship.
Pietila later conceded that she had no idea she was chasing a four-time USGA champion.
“I’ve been with her on the cart for two days,” said Pietila, laughing.
By far the most decorated player in the field outside of Thompson, Stasi isn’t sure whether the Harder Hall victory will impress the USA Curtis Cup selection committee for the June match against GB and I at St Louis, Missouri.
She wasn’t among the 14 players invited to the practice session scheduled for later this month at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Eight players will be chosen to represent the U.S. June 6-8.
When asked if she was surprised to be left off the practice squad, Stasi offered a “no comment.”
Unlike the Walker Cup, there is no guaranteed spot for a mid-amateur on the Curtis Cup team. Stasi says that’s just fine, noting the men’s mid-amateur game is considerably deeper than the women’s side.
Indeed, Stasi is one of the few female mid-amateurs who can compete with young junior and college hotshots, and she carries the biggest schedule of her peers, playing in amateur events worldwide.
Stasi, whose surname was Bolger at the time, met her husband-to-be, Danny (“Staz”), on January 13, 2008, which was the day she found out she had made the Curtis Cup team for St Andrews that year.
Stasi’s only Curtis Cup appearance is among the biennial competition's most memorable as Danny Stasi proposed on the Swilken Bridge at the 18th hole in Andrews after the U.S. beat GB and I at the "Home of Golf."
Danny Stasi owns Shuk ’N Dive Cajun Cafe in Fort Lauderdale, and with the New Orleans Saints playing the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs, Stasi was keen to get back home Saturday night to catch the second half.
There’s already much to celebrate.
Labels: Amateur Ladies
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 11:53:00 pm
<< Home