2006 GA-FL Women’s Team Matches

Georgia Falls to Florida at 26th Georgia-Florida Women's Team Matches

Haines City, Fla. - Team Georgia fell to the Florida squad 30 1/2-23 1/2 at the 26th annual Georgia-Florida Women's Team Matches, which took place at Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club in Haines City, Florida, August 17-18. Florida, needing 18 points to claim victory, began the final round with a one-point advantage and claimed the title by nine points after dominating play in Friday's 12 singles matches. The Nassau scoring format awards one point to the winner of each nine and one point for the overall match, with a half-point for any ties.

Florida tallied three quick point as Georgia's Rebecca Durham of St. Simons Island fell to Mary Jane Hiestand of Naples, 3 and 1. Georgia co-captain Stacy Easley of Stockbridge fell in her match with Winter Park's Julie Garner but did when a point by capturing the back nine. Cumming's Lori Whitaker could only manage a half point, on the inward nine, from Mulberry's Sisi Hedges who ended the match winning 3 and 2.

Eastman's Christy Cheek began to charge for Georgia by winning her first set of nine holes but was then met on the back by Ann Pohira of Winter Park, who won the back side and pushed the match to finish at all square. Newnan's Jodie Shepard and Rebecca Rocker of Eatonton fell in the matches to their respective opponents with Shepard tallying a point on her front nine and with Rocker falling in a shutout.

With Florida closing in on the 18-point mark that they needed to close out Georgia, Mary Riley of Perry chalked up the first win of the day for the Peach State.  Riley defeated Chris Epperly of Lady Lake, 1 up, and earned a half point by tying on the back nine. However, an answer would come via Florida's co-captain, Paula Fitzpatrick of Homestead, who shutout reigning GSGA Senior Women's Player of the Year, Ena Harvey of Greensboro by a score of 3 and 2.

 

The second of Georgia three match wins came from Donna Gonsalves of Eatonton who shutout her opponent. Atlanta's Jennifer Adyorough, however, fell in the following match with Terrell Italiano of Tampa. Adyorough did score a point by winning the front nine but Italiano's two points sealed victory for the Floridians.  Hartwell's Anna Rogers, a member of the Mercer University women's golf team, won a point on the front side but stumbled on the back and halved the overall match with Diane Lang of Weston, the 2005 USGA Senior Women's Amateur Champion. The final match of the day went to Dalton's Jennifer Cassidy who dropped her opponent 5 and 4 and claimed a shutout.

 

Florida's victory marks the sixth consecutive year that the host state has claimed victory at the Women's Team Matches. Georgia's last win in the Sunshine state came in 2000 when it won 33 1/2-20 1/2 at Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Club in Orlando. This was the 26th playing of the Georgia-Florida Women's Team Matches, which brings together the top women amateur golfers in the two neighboring states. Team members are selected by their state associations based on their performance in recent events. Florida now leads the all-time series 14-12.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, four 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 Points: Florida 30 1/2, Georgia 23 1/2

 
Second Round Points: Florida 21, Georgia 15 (Singles Matches)
Mary Jane Hiestand (Fla.) def. Rebecca Durham (Ga.), 3 and 1, 3-0
Julie Garner (Fla.) def. Stacy Easley (Ga.), 7 and 5, 2-1
Sisi Hedges (Fla.) def. Lori Whitaker (Ga.), 3 and 2, 2 1/2-1/2
Christy Cheek (Ga.) vs. Ann Pohira (Fla.), All Square, 1 1/2 each
Patsy Ehret (Fla.) def. Jodie Shepard (Ga.), 1 up, 2-1
Sharon Keil (Fla.) def. Rebecca Rocker (Ga.), 5 and 4, 3-0
Mary Riley (Ga.) def. Chris Epperly (Fla.), 1 up, 2 1/2-1/2
Paula Fitzpatrick (Fla) def. Ena Harvey (Ga.), 3 and 2, 3-0
Donna Gonsalves (Ga.) def. Erin Fitzpatrick (Fla.), 5 and 4, 3-0
Terrell Italiano (Fla.) def. Jennifer Adyorough (Ga.), 3 and 1, 2-1
Anna Rogers (Ga.) vs. Diane Lang (Fla.), All Square, 1 1/2 each
Jennifer Cassidy (Ga.) def. Sammie Sue Wilson (Fla.), 5 and 4, 3-0

First Round Points: Florida 9 1/2, Georgia 8 1/2 (Four-Ball Matches)
Terrell Italiano and Sisi Hedges (Fla.) def. Rebecca Rocker and Donna Gonsalves (Ga.), 2 up, 2 1/2-1/2
Mary Jane Hiestand and Julie Garner (Fla.) def. Mary Riley and Christy Cheek (Ga.), 3 and 1, 2 1/2-1/2
Sharon Keil and Chris Epperly (Fla.) def. Ena Harvey and Jodie Shepard (Ga.), 3 and 2, 2 1/2-1/2
Anna Rogers and Lori Whitaker (Ga.) def. Erin Fitzpatrick and Ann Pohira (Fla.), 1 up, 2 1/2-1/2
Rebecca Durham and Stacy Easley (Ga.) def. Paula Fitzpatrick and Sammy Sue Wilson (Fla.), 1 up, 2-1
Jennifer Cassidy and Jennifer Adyorough (Ga.) def. Patsey Ehret and Diane Lang (Fla.), 2 and 1, 2 1/2-1/2