2004 Senior Women’s Championship

Harvey Captures GSGA Senior Women's Championship in a Playoff

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. - With par on the first playoff hole, Ena Harvey of Greensboro captured the seventh annual GSGA Senior Women's Championship over Andi Anderson of Woodstock at The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Clarkesville. Harvey and Anderson both finished the 36-hole championship at six-over par 150. Jodie Shepard of Newnan and Susan Tucker of Atlanta tied for third at 155.

 

Darlene Werhnyak of Lawrenceville finished in fifth place with a score of 156, with defending champion Claudeen Lindberg of Atlanta in sixth at 157. Mary McElreath of Augusta placed seventh with a 158, while Jan Cross of Augusta and Marilyn Nolan-Johnson of Marietta, both first-flight competitors, won their flight and tied for eighth at 159. Past champion Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain and first-flight competitor Mell Moeling of Atlanta rounded out the top 10, tying for 10th at 160.

Playing the 231-yard, par-4 eighth hole in the playoff, Harvey put her approach shot in the fringe, 15 feet from the hole. Anderson, meanwhile, found a greenside bunker on her second shot and sent her third shot 20 feet over the green. Her fourth shot only made it to the fringe, followed by a chip that went past the hole. Harvey then hit it to within four feet, and sank the par putt for the victory.

Harvey, who shared the first-round lead (at two-over 74) with Anderson and Shepard, was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the 16th hole after a ruling that she improved her area of intended swing. Her practice swing under a tree knocked some leaves down, and it was determined that the action improved her lie. Despite the penalty, Harvey nearly won the title outright with a short birdie opportunity on the par-5 18th, but her putt traveled past the hole and she settled for par and a final-round 76 to tie Anderson at 150.

Harvey wins the GSGA Senior Women's Championship after consecutive top-3 finishes the last two years and after participating in a playoff for the second straight year. She shared the opening-round lead with Lindberg in the 2003 event, held at Coosa Country Club in Rome. The duo remained tied after 36 holes, and Lindberg went on to claim the title following a one-hole playoff. Harvey placed third (behind Lindberg and champion Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain) in 2002 at Wilmington Island Club in Savannah.

Play was suspended for approximately one hour due to a mid-afternoon thunderstorm. Competitors in the Championship through second flights were eligible for the overall title and played The Orchard's par-72 layout at approximately 5,524 yards. The third through eighth flights were on a 5,264-yard track. The 106 competitors were divided into flights according to their handicap index.

Other flight champions included Sue King of Chatsworth and Marsha F. Whitener of Dalton in flight two (167), Dorothy Brookshire of Cleveland in flight three (154), Debra Szuper of Evans in flight four (169), Karen Nasworthy of Lakemont in flight five (171), Suzie Tindall of Atlanta in flight six (161), Gwen Flynn of Jonesboro and Loretta Slankard of Dalton in flight seven (189) and Brenda McClendon of Stockbridge in flight eight (190).

The GSGA Senior Women's Championship was established by the GSGA in 1998 to expand competitive opportunities for senior women in the state. Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are Georgia residents, members of a GSGA Member Club, and at least 50 years of age as of August 23.

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 10 Overall
1 Ena Harvey, Greensboro 74 76 150 *
1 Andi Anderson, Woodstock 74 76 150
3 Susan Tucker, Atlanta 79 76 155
3 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 74 81 155
5 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 76 80 156
6 Claudeen Lindberg, Atlanta 78 79 157
7 Mary McElreath, Augusta 80 78 158
8 Jan Cross, Augusta 82 77 159
8 Marilyn Nolan-Johnson, Marietta 78 81 159
10 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 84 76 160
10 Nell Moeling, Atlanta 76 84 160
* playoff