2002 Top 56 Women’s Classic

Charlotte Grant Holds off Field, Wins Women's Top 56

Bremen, GA - Former LPGA Tour player Charlotte Grant of Greensboro held onto her lead with a final-round, five-over 77 to win by two strokes at the Georgia Top 56 Competition, which was held at The Lion Golf Club in Bremen June 27-28. Grant finished at 151, with defending champion Shannon Silvernail of Macon and 1994 champion Patti Huxford of Cumming sharing second at 153. North Carolina State's Leslie Stubblefield of Kennesaw finished alone in fourth at 154, with 2002 Women's Match Play runner-up Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain taking fifth at 155.

Grant, who was playing out of the first flight, finished with 11 straight pars after getting off to a rocky start, doubling the third hole and bogeying five through seven. Grant's steadiness down the stretch proved to be the difference, fending off her playing partner, Silvernail, and two other challengers, who dropped back on the closing holes.

Silvernail carded the low round of the tournament with an even-par 72, but it wasn't enough to make up for her uncharacteristic opening 81. Huxford and Stubblefield, who were playing in the last group as the championship flight leaders, were in contention to the end. Huxford, who started the day four back, picked up five strokes on Grant by shooting even par on the front and was tied with her after 15. A missed short putt on 16 and a wayward tee shot on 17 led to two bogeys that cost her a chance at her second championship. Stubblefield, only aware of where her playing partner stood, took the 18th tee tied with Grant, who was in the clubhouse at 151. After reaching a greenside bunker in two on the par-5 18th, Stubblefield lost her concentration around the green and ended up with a triple bogey to fall to fourth place.

Second-flight honors went to Claudeen Lindberg of Atlanta, who rallied back from an opening 86 with a closing 74 to win by two over Mary Helen McElreath of Augusta, who shot 84-78-162. Third flight went to Regina Martin of Atlanta, who started the day tied for third overall at 77. She finished at 162 for a three-stroke victory over Victoria Mackay of Greensboro. Jackie Sexton of Cumming won the fourth flight by eleven strokes with a 162. Stephanie Stocks of Perry claimed the fifth flight win by five with a 166. The sixth flight went to Dale Perry of Carrollton (178).

Grant, 42, played on the LPGA Tour for a couple years in the 1980s after a collegiate career at Wake Forest. She began playing competitive golf again in the late 1990s, qualifying for the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur in 1999 and playing well enough in state events to earn a place on the GSGA's squad for the annual Georgia-Florida Women's Team Matches in 2000.

Originally known as the Women's Top 40, this competition was established by the Georgia State Golf Association in 1989 to showcase the top female amateurs in Georgia. The field was expanded this year, and was determined by the 56 lowest handicaps. The field was divided into seven flights (Championship and First through Sixth) 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.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches, one Atlanta-area competition 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 Charlotte Grant, Greensboro 74 77 151
2 Patti Huxford, Cumming 78 75 153
2 Shannon Silvernail, Macon 81 72 153
4 Leslie Stubblefield, Kennesaw 76 78 154
5 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 76 79 155
6 Andi Anderson, Woodstock 84 73 157
7 Elaine Montano, Augusta 85 73 158
8 Sarah Trew, Acworth 82 77 159
8 Danielle Davis, St. Simons Island 82 77 159
10 Claudeen Lindberg, Atlanta 86 74 160

 

Championship Flight
1 Patti Huxford, Cumming 78 75 153
2 Leslie Stubblefield, Kennesaw 76 78 154
3 Andi Anderson, Woodstock 84 73 157
4 Sarah Trew, Acworth 82 77 159
5 Abbi Francis, Covington 84 78 162
6 Sarah Kate Cousart, Athens 80 83 163
7 Wendy Ohlmeyer, Columbus 88 78 166
7 Katie Davidson, Bonaire 81 85 166

 

First Flight
1 Charlotte Grant, Greensboro 74 77 151
2 Shannon Silvernail, Macon 81 72 153
3 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 76 79 155
4 Elaine Montano, Augusta 85 73 158
5 Danielle Davis, St. Simons Island 82 77 159
6 Debra Buetow, Alpharetta 82 80 162
7 Virginia Tyson, Macon 81 87 168
8 Serena Johnston, Acworth 85 86 171

 

Second Flight
1 Claudeen Lindberg, Atlanta 86 74 160 
2 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 84 78 162
3 Erin Campbell, Marietta 82 81 163
4 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 82 82 164
5 Alli Henderson, Marietta 91 83 174
6 Elizabeth Zientak, Dacula 90 86 176
7 Amy Kirouac, Duluth 89 90 179
8 Peachy Horne, Atlanta 93 87 180

 

Third Flight
1 Regina Martin, Atlanta 77 85 162
2 Victoria Mackay, Greensboro 81 84 165
2 Marilyn Nolan-Johnson, Marietta 77 88 165
4 Lauren Cousart, Athens 85 82 167
5 Diane Fries, Atlanta 85 84 169
6 Ellen Connors, Newnan 88 87 175
7 Bonnie Grizzard, Rome 85 93 178
8 Betty Rich, Villa Rica 94 91 185

 

Fourth Flight
1 Jackie Sexton, Cumming 80 82 162
2 Jan Cross, Augusta 80 93 173
3 Sissi Gann, Kathleen 90 86 176
4 Donnie Faucette, Big Canoe 86 92 178
5 Judy Wilson, Marietta 93 87 180
6 Rochelle Weaver, Resaca 93 88 181
7 Anna Fujii, Atlanta 96 87 183
8 Alice Richardson, Alpharetta WD

 

Fifth Flight
1 Stephanie Stocks, Perry 84 82 166
2 Yuri Nishimoto, Alpharetta 84 87 171
3 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 84 88 172
4 Kristie McCollister, Alpharetta 92 88 180
5 Belinda Marsh, Alpharetta 93 88 181
6 Jean Dawson, Suwanee 101 83 184
7 Fran Coody, Perry 100 86 186 8
Debbie Blount, Atlanta WD

 

Sixth Flight
1 Dale Perry, Carrollton 88 90 178
2 Kenyatta Seals, Atlanta 93 90 183
3 Gloria Hughes, Greensboro 95 91 186
4 Sue Marshall, Marietta 100 88 188
5 Sharon Loftin, Carrollton 99 96 195
6 Joyce Doss, Carrollton 109 100 209
7 Kathleen Cousart, Athens 112 101 213
8 Betty Smith, Cumming WD