(USGA Photo)

Mourgue D’Algue, 60, of France, got off to a slow start in her match against Lou Hart, 54, of Meridian, Miss., and was 2 down after five holes. But she came back to win the sixth and seventh holes with pars to square the match, and later won holes 11, 12 and 13, also with pars, to take control en route to a 4-and-3 victory.

“It’s tough,” said Mourgue D’Algue, the 1999 Senior Women’s Amateur runner-up. “It’s very windy. With the wind out there today, par is quite good. I don’t think you’d lose many holes to par today.”

With the victory, Mourgue D’Algue kept alive her hopes of becoming just the second medalist to win the championship.

“It’s such a pity when you play well in medal play and then go out in the first round, which happens,” she said.

The only medalist to go on to win since the championship changed to a match-play format in 1997 is Carol Semple Thompson, who did so in 2002. Thompson, a seven-time USGA champion who also claimed the Senior Women’s Amateur title in 1999, 2000 and 2001, advanced Monday with a 3-and-2 win over Cindy Corlett, 50, of Lexington, N.C.

“We both made some mistakes,” said Semple, 57, of Sewickley, Pa., about the match. “Instead of winning holes with birdies and pars, I won a few with bogeys. I didn’t play as well as I’d like, but I’m going to play better tomorrow. I’m very happy to get through the first round.”

Lang, 51, of Weston, Fla., had an easier time in her first-round match against Mary Ann Beattie, 59, of Chesterfield, Mo. Lang, who struggled a bit during the stroke-play qualifying, was much happier with her play during her 7-and-5 victory.

“All my drives were good,” said Lang, who is trying to become the championship’s seventh repeat winner. “I did not miss a drive for the day. I hit every fairway and most of the greens, and only had one three-putt."

Also advancing were four-time USGA champion Marlene Streit, 72, of Canada, who recorded a 5-and-4 victory over Jan Phillips, 50, Bonita Springs, Fla., and 2004 Senior Women’s Amateur champion Carolyn Creekmore, 54, of Dallas, Texas, who defeated Reggie Parker, 60, of Hobe Sound, Fla., 2 and 1.

Creekmore’s second-round opponent will be Robin Donnelly, 53, of Lake Forest, Ill., who needed extra holes to outlast Sharon Keil, 62, of Lady Lake, Fla., Donnelly, the 1989 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur winner, was 3 down after 12 but won the next three holes with pars to square the match. Donnelly earned the victory with a par on the first extra hole, the par-4 first on Sea Island’s Seaside Course.

In a match-up of former USA Curtis Cuppers, Noreen Mohler, 52, of Bethlehem, Pa., defeated 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur winner Mary Budke, 52, of Eugene, Ore., 3 and 2. Mohler played on the 1978 team, while Budke was a member of the 1974 team and captain of the 2002 squad.

The 2006 Senior Women’s Amateur continues with the second and third rounds Tuesday. The quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be played Wednesday and the championship concludes with Thursday’s 18-hole final match.

The USGA Senior Women’s Amateur is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association each year, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by Beth Murrison of USGA Media Relations. Contact her at bmurrison@usga.org with questions or comments.

St. Simons Island, Ga. – Results following Monday’s first round of match play at the 2006 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at the 5,832-yard, par-71 Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club:

Round of 64

Upper Bracket

Cecilia Mourgue D'Algue, France (145) def. Lou Hart, Meridian, Miss. (165), 4 and 3

Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz. (159) def. Anne Zahn, Minnetonka Beach, Minn. (159), 2 and 1

Marianne Springer, Wellington, Fla. (163) def. Ann Lahey, Kentfield, Calif. (155), 19 holes

Noreen Mohler, Bethlehem, Pa. (162) def. Mary Budke, Eugene, Ore. (155), 3 and 2

Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif. (164) def. Mitsue Lewis, San Diego, Calif. (151), 3 and 2

Kristine Berger, Hilton Head Island, S.C. (157) def. Chris Epperly, Lady Lake, Fla. (161), 2 and 1

Robyn Puckett, Irvine, Calif. (152) def. Terry Ehrhardt, Waco, Texas (164), 1 up

Marlene Streit, Canada (161) def. Jan Phillips, Bonita Springs, Fla. (156), 5 and 4

Anna Schultz, Rockwall, Texas (148) def. Ede Rice, Edina, Minn. (164), 7 and 6

Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah (158) def. Barbara Israel, New York, N.Y. (160), 2 up

Mimi Hoffman, Springfield, Va. (153) def. Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville, Ga. (163), 4 and 3

Judy Miller, Tucson, Ariz. (156) def. Barbara Berkmeyer, St Louis, Mo. (162), 19 holes

Joan Garety, Ada, Mich. (149) def. Shirley Budden, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (164), 19 holes

Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C. (157) def. Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif. (161), 4 and 2

Viveca Hoff, Sweden (153) def. Patricia French, Tulsa, Okla. (163), 5 and 4

Pamela Clark Brown, Landenberg, Pa. (156) def. Donna Frank, Bakersfield, Calif. (162), 2 up

Lower Bracket

Nancy Smith, North Port, Fla. (146) def. Angela Stewart, Greenville, N.C. (165), 1 up

Marsha Butler, San Diego, Calif. (159) def. Brenda Pictor, Marietta, Ga. (158), 4 and 2

Jennifer Adams, Bluffton, S.C. (163) def. Sue Raines, Florence, Ala. (154), 4 and 2

Toni Wiesner, Fort Worth, Texas (155) def. Frances Gacos, Flemington, N.J. (162), 3 and 2

Sandy Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif. (164) def. Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Fla. (151), 2 and 1

Sherry Bowman, Manassas, Va. (161) def. Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa. (157), 3 and 2

Marianne Towersey, Pebble Beach, Calif. (153) def. Louise Kramer, Chicago, Ill. (163), 7 and 6

Lisa Smego, Olympia, Wash. (161) def. Alison Murdoch, Canada (156), 1 up

Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas (148) def. Reggie Parker, Hobe Sound, Fla. (165), 2 and 1

Robin W. Donnelley, Palm Beach, Fla. (158) def. Sharon Keil, Lady Lake, Fla. (160), 19 holes

Carol S. Thompson, Sewickley, Pa. (154) def. Cindy Corlett, Lexington, N.C. (163), 3 and 2

Alison Reifers, Dublin, Ohio (155) def. Diana L. Schwab, Dayton, Ohio (162), 4 and 3

Boodie McGurn, Richmond, Va. (150) def. Lynn Larson, Parker, Colo. (164), 3 and 2

Maggie Scott, Charleston, Tenn. (161) def. Mary Bea Porter-King, Lihue, Hawaii (157), 2 and 1

Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla. (153) def. Shelley Savage, Alexandria, Va. (163), 3 and 2

Diane Lang, Weston, Fla. (156) def. Mary Ann Beattie, St Louis, Mo. (161), 7 and 5