The Sally: Kelly Calkin Prevails

13 Jan 2007
see also: Women's South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship (The Sally), Oceanside Country Club
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Photo by N-J/Ji-Eun Lee

By SEAN KERNAN Staff Writer Courtesy Daytona Beach news-journalonline.com ORMOND BEACH (January 13, 2007) -- Kelly Calkin was amazed at the interest shown by spectators watching the 81st women's South Atlantic Amateur championship Saturday. She couldn't quite figure out the interest they had shown in her. But that's OK, because the amazement went both ways. Those following the 20-year-old University of Maryland golfer were amazed at how easy Calkin made it look in the final round on the way to a comfortable four-shot win in the prestigious women's amateur at Oceanside Country Club. "When she went to the first tee and saw all these people sitting in bleachers she said, 'What is going on?' said Calkin's mother, Renie, who rode along in a golf cart because she has multiple sclerosis. "I couldn't believe how many people were following," added the winner, who had an even-par 72 for a 7-over 295 total. "It felt like an LPGA event." Any of those fans looking for the proverbial wheels to fall off of Calkin's game had to look elsewhere because the Sally rookie was in total control. Relaxed and confident, Calkin enjoyed the rare opportunity to have her mother, a former professional golfer, along for the ride of their lives. Unlike some of the more recent Sally champions who came here with a high amateur ranking or impressive junior resume, Calkin was a relative unknown. She was ranked 183rd on Golfweek's women's amateur list. Not anymore. Watch out Atlantic Coast Conference. "I just came in here planning to get ready for the (spring) season, so I'm pleasantly surprised," said Calkin, who hadn't played a round of golf for two months prior to Sally week. "This raises my confidence tremendously." The part-time Palm Coast resident is fully aware that the women's NCAA championship will be played at nearby LPGA International in May. "That's about 15 minutes away from my house," Calkin said. "Hopefully I will be there." If Calkin can repeat the efforts she made at the Sally in only her second victory since high school, she may have more surprises ahead. Key to her newfound success is improvement in her iron play and short game since she added new irons and wedges to her bag before the fall college season. "Apparently they work wonders," she said with a smile. "Something just clicked as soon as I got them. My scoring average went down by three or four (strokes) in the college season." Despite it being one of the warmest final days in Sally history, Calkin put this championship on ice when she rolled in a 45-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 ninth green that is basically center stage in front of Oceanside's clubhouse. "I wouldn't say I felt like it was over, but I knew if I was around par I would be all right," she said. The only player able to make any type of charge was University of Florida signee Jessica Yadloczky, who fired a tournament-low round of 68. But Yadloczky's heroics -- played out four groups ahead of the final pairing -- were just enough to secure second place by one shot over Wake Forest signee Natalie Sheary. Susan Choi, a recent grad of Wellesley (Mass.), used a 71 -- the only other sub-par round of the day -- to lead a trio tied for fourth place at 301. Two-time Sally champ Virginia Derby Grimes and another mid-am player, Kathy Hartwiger, rounded out the top six. Embry-Riddle's Tara Allen carded a 79 to win the First Flight with a total of 326. The shot of the day belonged to Naval Commander Elizabeth Breza, who had a hole-in-one on the 136-yard par-3 16th. 81st SALLY 74-76-73-72~295 Calkin, Kelly 74-81-76-68~299 Yadloczky, Jessica 76-74-72-78~300 Sheary, Natalie 77-74-77-73~301 Grimes, Virgina 74-76-79-72~301 Hartwiger, Kathy 77-80-73-71~301 Choi, Susan 79-73-75-77~304 Meixner, Kira 77-79-73-77~306 Bodemann, Alexandra 75-74-81-76~306 Chudy, Tiffant 75-82-78-73~308 Connor, Rachel 75-79-77-78~309 Choate, Tonya 82-75-77-77~311 Brynestad-Grotvedt, Boo 81-79-76-75~311 Prats, Tiffany 80-79-76-77~312 Kim, C. J. 77-83-77-76~313 Nam, Susan 80-81-76-76~313 Kuhn, Rebecca 80-83-73-78~314 Tipping, Emma 80-83-77-74~314 Hardy, Jill 80-79-77-79~315 Orr, Miranda 81-82-79-73~315 Brand, Emily 82-79-77-78~316 **Thompson, Carol S. 81-81-73-84~319 Wetzel, Kristin 87-71-75-87~320 Williams, Rachel 82-80-79-79~320 Weder, Maggie 83-80-79-80~322 Crochet, Nichole 83-79-82-78~322 **Pagana, Barbara 85-82-78-79~324 **Parker, Reggie 83-79-81-82~325 Truitt, Carly 88-77-78-82~325 Huxford, Patricia 85-84-78-79~326 Allen, Tara 82-83-80-82~327 Strite, Laurie 84-84-78-81~327 Fitzpatrick, Erin 86-83-77-81~327 **Yelovich, Dianne 85-88-75-80~328 Cassidy, Rachel 82-89-80-77~328 Carlton, Clare-Marci 84-89-78-77~328 Cummings, Daria 85-80-83-82~330 **Brown, Pam 81-87-80-82~330 **Haines, Elizabeth 85-83-86-77~331 Ah Sam, Luneta 78-86-80-88~332 **Brower, Taffy 90-79-82-81~332 **Mowry, Jean 83-81-82-87~333 **Richey, Cathy 87-80-82-85~334 Carpenter, Janie 78-84-90-82~334 Carty, Sarah 85-87-81-81~334 Pederson, Missy 86-87-80-82~335 Von Glahn, Monica 88-84-79-85~336 Dewar Dawn 86-86-84-82~338 **Easterly, Natalie 90-84-79-86~339 **Kuykendall, Cindy 88-84-82-85~339 **Carson, Laura 86-85-86-82~339 Shinn, Ashley 91-83-83-84~341 **Aydlett, Clate 88-92-79-82~341 **de Luis, Teri 84-88-89-80~341 Larsen, Caroline Martens 88-85-86-84~343 **Sang, Debbie Mook 92-82-87-82~343 **Roberts, Joanie 87-90-84-82~343 Zwartynski, Andrea 89-88-85-82~344 Skowronski, Mayura 91-88-83-82~344 Kenkel, Suzanne 95-84-83-82~344 Greenway, Karen 90-86-82-88~346 Turnage, Carol 88-94-79-85~346 **George, Bonnie 84-87-83-93~347 **Stewart, Angela 101-82-84-80~347 Gulliksen, Meaghan 97-89-81-80~347 **Adams, Jennifer 87-98-81-85~351 Sze, Angel 97-83-91-82~353 Hughes, Meg 92-83-93-87~355 **Schwab, Diana 89-87-90-91~357 Elmendorf, Marie 89-92-91-85~357 **Masterson, Diane 95-91-85-87~358 Merritt, Mary 94-93-87-84~358 Petrillo, Mary Ann 96-89-90-83~358 **Akins, Sally 98-90-87-83~358 Sheehan, Maureen 94-92-89-84~359 Breza, Elizabeth 85-89-98-88~360 **Schwedler, Debe 101-89-88-82~360 **Marden, Donna 89-99-93-82~363 Wilburn, Katie 94-91-89-92~366 Hill, Marissa 99-87-87-94~367 **Blackmon, Evelyn Byrd 88-93-92-95~368 **Demarco, Jan 95-96-87-93~371 Callahan, Denise 99-87-97-90~373 Johnston, Serena 99-86-96-97~378 **Williams, Nancy 103-91-92-98~384 **Smith, Karen Lynn 99-93-94-100~386 **Likens, Marci 103-108-91-98~400 Rose, Marcella 101-99-107-93~400 Baines, Catherine 103-101-97-103~404 Montgomery, Courtnay

ABOUT THE Women's South Atlantic Amateur (The Sally)

The Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship (The SALLY) is played the second week of January each year, in Ormond Beach, Florida. Oceanside Country Club has been home to The SALLY since its beginnings in 1926. The tournament field consists of top amateurs in the US and the top finishers are frequently represent the U.S. for the biennial Curtis Cup team. You will find many former SALLY players among the LPGA elite.

72-hole stroke play championship with a Championship Division (max handicap 6.0) and a Rockefeller Division (max handicap 10.0) that plays from shorter tees. There is also a Senior competition for players aged 50 and over competing in the Championship division.

Eligibility: A female from birth, that has reached the age of 16. All entries are accepted subject to Committee Approval.