2005 Senior Women’s Championship

Ena Harvey Cruises to Second-Straight GSGA Senior Women's Championship

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. -Ena Harvey of Greensboro posted a final-round one-over-par 73 and finished at four-over 148 to cruise to her second-straight win at the eighth annual GSGA Senior Women's Championship, contested at The Orchard Golf & Country Club in Clarkesville, August 15-16. Harvey finished seven strokes ahead of Liz Butler of Columbus, who carded a final-round 79 to move up one spot in the standings.

Elaine Carsel of Athens, who shared the first-round lead with Harvey, finished third at 157 after shooting a final-round 82. Mary Helen McElreath of Augusta and two-time former champion Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain shared fourth place at 14-over 158.

Rounding out the top-10 were Chatsworth's Sue King (160), Jodie Shepard of Newnan (161), Marsha F. Whitener of Dalton (163) and Jan Cross of Augusta and Sue Tucker of Atlanta at 164. Cross and Tucker also shared top honors in the first flight. The championship and first flights were eligible for the overall title.

Carsel and Harvey entered the final round at three-over, and were still knotted at the turn after both carding two-over 38 on the front nine. Harvey got off to a rough start, going four-over through her first six holes, but came back with birdies on 7 and 8. Carsel's front nine was somewhat opposite, as she opened with a birdie but carded bogey-birdie-bogey on 7, 8 and 9 to drop back into a tie with Harvey.

"I just wasn't functioning like I should," Harvey said of her early play. "I just told myself to get it together and enjoy what I was doing, and fortunately, that worked."

Carsel and Harvey remained tied through 11 after parring both 10 and 11. Carsel then ran in a four-hole stretch of trouble, going double-bogey-triple-bogey on 12 through 15. Harvey, after birdieing 11, held steady with pars through 16 to build a comfortable lead. She had an unlucky bogey on 17, when her putt lipped around the entire hole before staying on the green, but she made it up with a birdie on 18 after putting her approach shot to two feet.

Butler, meanwhile, remained just two back of the first-round co-leaders through the turn, and passed Carsel with birdies of her own on holes 10 and 12. Butler has finished among the overall top-10 in four of the last five Senior Women's Championships, with this year's runner-up finish her best showing.

Last year, Harvey missed a birdie putt on 18 that would have clinched the title in 36 holes; instead she won in a one-hole playoff. She was reminded of that situation when she lined up her final shot in this year's event.

"I did remember last year's putt (on 18)," Harvey said. "But this year, I was in a much more comfortable position so the pressure wasn't really there."

This year's event marked the third year in a row that Harvey not only shared the opening-round lead, but that she also owned or shared the low score after 36 holes. In 2003, she was tied with Claudeen Lindberg of Atlanta following an opening-round 78. Lindberg went on to win the Championship, her second such title, in a one-hole playoff with Harvey the following day. At last year's event, which also took place at The Orchard, Harvey shot an opening-round 74 and was knotted with Shepard and Andi Anderson of Woodstock. Once again, Harvey faced a playoff after final round, defeating Anderson after one hole.

Harvey becomes the third repeat winner in the event's history, joining Spinucci (2001, 2002) and Lindberg (1999, 2003).

Other flight winners included Sissi Gann of Kathleen and Di Scott of Atlanta in the second flight (162), Lurisa Waldron of Lavonia in flight three (168), Joyce Doss of Carrollton in flight four (173), Pat Boyd of Atlanta in the fifth flight (174) and Carol Fitzgerald of Leesburg in the sixth flight (186).

Play was suspended for one hour - from 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. - due to a thunderstorm in the area.

The course was a par-72 layout and played to approximately 5,432 yards for the championship and first flights, while the second through sixth flights played to approximately 5,132 yards. The championship and first flights were eligible for the overall title.

Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are GSGA members, Georgia residents, and age 50 and above as of August 15. The field of 112 was divided into flights based on handicap index.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches and 17 USGA qualifying events each year. Other services include computerized handicapping, course rating and measuring, a summer-long junior sectional competitions program, Golf Georgia magazine and two college scholarship programs.

Final Results

 

Top Ten Overall
1 Ena Harvey, Greensboro 75 73 148 4
2 Liz Butler, Columbus 76 79 155 11
3 Elaine Carsel, Athens 75 82 157 13
T4 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 80 78 158 14
T4 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 76 82 158 14
6 Sue King, Chatsworth 81 79 160 16
7 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 77 84 161 17
8 Marsha F Whitener, Dalton 84 79 163 19
T9 Jan Cross, Augusta 83 81 164 20
T9 Sue Tucker, Atlanta 84 80 164 20