2009 Top 60 Women’s Classic

Rebecca Durham Captures 2009 Top 60 Women's Classic
Durham's 71 stands up against Mother Nature and moves her up the leaderboard

GREENSBORO, Ga. – Fighting off stormy conditions and two suspensions of play, Rebecca Durham of St. Simons Island fired a final-round 71 to come from behind and claim victory at the 2009 Georgia Top 60 Women's Classic, which was held at Reynolds Landing Golf Course, June 29-30. Valdosta's Dori Carter, who started the day tied for fifth, posted 72 in the final round and finished with a tournament total of 150, seven shots off Durham's pace. First-round leader, Tess Fordham of Metter, posted 81 in her final round and fell to third overall.

Durham, a rising junior at Stanford University, began her day with birdies on the first two holes. She posted double-bogey on the 382-yard fourth but answered with birdies on holes five and six. She would tally another birdie at eight but a bogey on the ninth left her heading to the inward nine at two-under par. She made bogeys on holes 13 and 15 but was able to scratch her way back to an under-par round after connecting on a lengthy birdie putt at the 485-yard, par-five 16th. Pars on each of her final two holes left her posting a tournament total 143 – good for the title.

"I really started off well today," Durham explained of her five birdies over her first eight holes. "I hit the ball well off the tee and was able to put scoring clubs in my hands. I hit a lot of greens [in regulation] today and putted very well."

Roswell's Rinko Mitsunaga, 12, posted rounds of 74 and 79 to finish in fourth place overall. Laura Coble of Augusta posted a final-round 78 to finish fifth. The reigning GSGA Senior Women's Player of the Year, Brenda Pictor of Marietta, fired a 75 in the closing round to move up to sixth position. Lauren Darnell of Gainesville, who took home the Georgia Top 60 title in 2007, followed her opening round 81 with a 75 of her own to take seventh place overall. Abby Johnson of Braselton, who finished atop the first flight, ended play tied for eighth place overall with Kennesaw State University golfer, Abby Fitzgerald of Leesburg. Tied for tenth, at 161, was Kathryn Fowler of Americus and Lindsay Adams of Lawrenceville.

Other flight winners: Kasay Holbrook of Dawsonville in flight two (163), Canton's Tracy Marshall in flight three (165) and Perry's Sissi Gann took flight four (173).
Play was suspended twice during the final round. The first stoppage lasted for two hours and 15 minutes, from 11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The day's second hault came at 3:58 and lasted for 47 minutes.

Originally known as the Women's Top 40 Competition, this event was established in 1989 to showcase the top female amateurs in Georgia. The field, which expanded to 56 in 2002, was expanded again to 60 in 2003 and the event was renamed. The field was determined by handicap index, with the 60 lowest entrants receiving positions in the field. The field was divided into five flights (Championship and first through fourth) by handicap index. All participants played from the same tees and were eligible for the overall title. Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are Georgia residents and a member of a GSGA Member Club.

Final Results

Top Ten Overall
1 Rebecca Durham, St. Simons Island 72 71 143 -1
2 Dori Carter, Valdosta 78 72 150 6
3 Tess Fordham, Metter 71 81 152 8
4 Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell 74 79 153 9
5 Laura Coble, Augusta 76 78 154 10
6 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 80 75 155 11
7 Lauren Darnell, Gainesville 81 75 156 12
T8 Abby Fitzgerald, Leesburg 79 81 160 16
T8 Abby Johnson, Braselton 81 79 160 16
T10 Kathryn Fowler, Americus 81 80 161 17
T10 Lindsay Adams, Lawrenceville 78 83 161 17

 

Championship Flight
1 Rebecca Durham, St. Simons Island 72 71 143 -1
2 Dori Carter, Valdosta 78 72 150 6
3 Tess Fordham, Metter 71 81 152 8
4 Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell 74 79 153 9
5 Laura Coble, Augusta 76 78 154 10
6 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 80 75 155 11
7 Lauren Darnell, Gainesville 81 75 156 12
8 Abby Fitzgerald, Leesburg 79 81 160 16
T9 Kathryn Fowler, Americus 81 80 161 17
T9 Lindsay Adams, Lawrenceville 78 83 161 17
11 Cherishton Brett, McDonough 87 80 167 23
12 Sarah Butts, Carrollton 85 WD WD WD

 

First Flight
1 Abby Johnson, Braselton 81 79 160 16
T2 Kaley Branton, Cartersville 91 73 164 20
T2 Mary Riley, Perry 83 81 164 20
T2 Patti Huxford, Cumming 82 82 164 20
5 Julie Criss, St. Simons Island 81 84 165 21
6 Jane Duggan, Atlanta 83 87 170 26
T7 Charlotte Grant, Greensboro 86 85 171 27
T7 Jayne Curtis, Calhoun 86 85 171 27
T7 Susan Rheney, Greensboro 89 82 171 27
10 Regan Freville, Augusta 83 90 173 29
11 Melissa Brody, Atlanta 86 90 176 32

 

Second Flight
1 Kasay Holbrook, Dawsonville 84 79 163 19
2 Lauren Court, Lawrenceville 82 84 166 22
3 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 84 85 169 25
T4 Lisa Sellers, Rocky Face 83 87 170 26
T4 Melanie Pray, Mableton 83 87 170 26
T6 Cheryl Grigg, Sea Island 82 89 171 27
T6 Kristin Bourg, Fayetteville 86 85 171 27
8 Victoria Bennett, Patterson 85 89 174 30
9 Michaela Owen, Alpharetta 82 95 177 33
T10 Leslie Elkins, Roswell 90 88 178 34
T10 Maggie Siddons, Acworth 88 90 178 34
12 Scarlett Tucker, Brooks 84 WD WD WD

 

Third Flight
1 Tracy Marshall, Canton 80 85 165 21
2 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 85 86 171 27
3 Alicia Poole, Suwanee 88 84 172 28
4 Danielle Davis, St. Simons Island 89 85 174 30
5 Ena Harvey, Greensboro 88 88 176 32
6 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 95 89 184 40
T7 Corrie Christensen, Norcross 88 97 185 41
T7 Deana Atkins, Dacula 93 92 185 41
9 Sue King, Chatsworth 95 91 186 42
T10 Lisa Rush, Buford 83 WD WD WD
T10 Rochelle Weaver, Resaca 91 WD WD WD

 

Fourth Flight
1 Sissi Gann, Kathleen 83 90 173 29
T2 Belinda Marsh, Alpharetta 90 89 179 35
T2 Liz Butler, Greensboro 83 96 179 35
T2 Sydney Dunning, Marietta 87 92 179 35
5 Nikita LeJerrel, Atlanta 85 97 182 38
T6 Ashley Panter, Blue Ridge 91 94 185 41
T6 Sandra Doyle, Dalton 87 98 185 41
T8 Donna Eaton, Greensboro 94 93 187 43
T8 Gwen Young, Cochran 93 94 187 43
10 Kristie McCollister, Alpharetta 95 93 188 44
11 Alice Richardson, Alphareta 97 94 191 47
12 Jan Cross, Evans 100 93 193 49
13 Marilyn Nolan-Johnson, Marietta 105 94 199 55
14 Eleanor Kirkland, Stockbridge 89 WD WD WD