RYE, NY (September 17, 2005) -- Seven-time USGA champion Carol Semple Thompson of Sewickley, Pa., is currently 2-under-par and leads the scoring through 16 holes of the first round of the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at the Apawamis Club. Karen Richardson of Georgetown, Mass., had a 2-over-par 74 to lead the 66 golfers who were able to complete play Saturday in the rain-delayed round.
Taffy Brower, 60, of Ft. Worth, Texas, a veteran of nine Senior Amateurs, led a group of four who finished another stroke back at 75. Ginny Burkey, 50, of Fircrest, Wash., was at even par through her 16 holes and looked likely to finish closest to Semple Thompson after the first round ends Sunday morning.
The 57-year-old Semple Thompson is a four-time Senior champion. She is playing in her 102nd USGA championship. In comparison, Richardson, 57, is in her fourth Senior championship.
Two suspensions due to severe weather ended play for the day with half the 132 golfers left on the golf course that is playing to par-72, 5,796-yards.
The stoppage of play didn’t seem to bother the veteran amateurs, especially Semple Thompson, who had four birdies to go with her two bogeys.
“I’ve done it enough that I am able to keep my focus so it wasn’t that bad,” said Semple Thompson. “I am still driven to do well. I have a new putting stroke which seems to be helping.”
Richardson carded one birdie and three bogeys to take the midday lead with her 74. But despite recording the low round of the morning, Richardson won't rest on her laurels.
“I was happy with how I played today. I started out in a bunker, got out and made par to get it going,” she said. “I made some good recoveries on a few swings which were kind of loose. ... but that’s golf.”
Her lone birdie came on the par 4, 11th hole. “I had a good drive up the left side and hit it in to the right of the flagstick. I putted in from about 15 feet, downhill, for the birdie," she said.
Burkey, who played in the same group as Thompson, was impressed.
“Carol’s got such a great rhythm in her swing, it just helps to watch her,” commented Burkey, a veteran of seven USGA championships playing in her first Senior. “Everyone says she is the nicest person in the world and she is. I just want to be able to keep up with her.”
Defending champion Carolyn Creekmore, 53, of Dallas, Texas, struggled to an 83.
“I just wasn’t consistent today. Well, yes I was. I was consistently bad,” Creekmore said. “I’d hit a good drive, then I’d hit it in the water. If I play well tomorrow, I still have a chance.”
The remainder of the first round of stroke play will resume at 7:45 a.m. Sunday, with the second round scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m.
Following 36 holes of stroke play, the low 64 scorers will advance to match play which starts on Monday.
The Senior Women’s Amateur is one 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Rye, N.Y. – Results of Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the 2005 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship played at the 5,796, par-72 Apawamis Club (66 players completed their first round; the remaining 66 remain on the course after play was suspended due to weather):
Karen Richardson, Georgetown, Mass., 38-36--74
Angela Stewart, Greenville, N.C., 36-39--75
Natalie Easterly, Richmond, Va., 39-36--75
Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla., 38-37--75
Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Fla., 39-36--75
Jean Smith, Eagle, Idaho, 38-38--76
Alison Reifers, Dublin, Ohio, 37-40--77
Jo-Ann Lindsay, Edina, Minn., 39-38--77
Marianne Towersey, Pebble Beach, Calif., 38-39--77
Reggie Parker, Hobe Sound, Fla., 41-36--77
Ashley Rose, Vienna, Va., 39-39--78
Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne, Pa., 37-41--78
Martha Lang, Mandeville, La., 42-36--78
Robin Donnelley, Lake Forest, Ill., 42-36--78
Sharon Baerenklau, Heathrow, Fla., 39-39--78
Deborah Jamgochian, Greenwich, Conn., 40-39--79
Marlene Streit, Canada, 39-40--79
Rae Higdon, Boonville, Ind., 38-41--79
Sandy Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif., 42-37--79
Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz., 40-40--80
Barbara Schmid, Grand Rapids, Mich., 42-39--81
Diane Henry, Richmond, Texas, 40-41--81
Emily Harnden, Portland, Ore., 38-43--81
Marianne Springer, Wellington, Fla., 39-42--81
Ann Brilley, Minnetonka Beach, Minn., 39-43--82
Anne Zahn, Minnetonka Beach, Minn., 41-41--82
Diane Barber, Burbank, Calif., 44-38--82
Ginny Zak, Gold Canyon, Ariz., 42-40--82
Jean Mowry, Webster City, Iowa, 41-41--82
Marcia Fisher, Canby, Ore., 41-41--82
Ann Lahey, Kentfield, Calif., 42-41--83
Carole Jones, Hillsborough, N.C., 44-39--83
Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas, 42-41--83
Alice Harcourt, Fallbrook, Calif., 44-40--84
Connie Bousquet, Mandeville, La., 40-44--84
Ginny Orthwein, St Louis, Mo., 42-42--84
Linda Reese, Richmond, Calif., 46-38--84
Lisa Dichter, Lancaster, Pa., 41-43--84
Mary Budke, Eugene, Ore., 42-42--84
Sharon Keil, Lady Lake, Fla., 40-44--84
Terry Ehrhardt, Waco, Texas, 42-42--84
Maureen Whitehead, Osseo, Mich., 43-42--85
Nancy Smith, North Port, Fla., 45-40--85
Peggy Williams, Omaha, Neb., 45-40--85
Renate Green, Alpine, N.J., 43-42--85
Rose Pagan, Kula, Hawaii, 43-42--85
Ann Cowan, Elk City, Okla., 45-41—86
Jill Christiansen, Lagrange, Ill., 43-43--86
Leslie Wilk, Agoura Hills, Calif., 46-40--86
Bev Kim, Honolulu, Hawaii, 43-44--87
Diane Lederman, New York, N.Y., 41-46--87
Judy Dunlop, Lake Mary, Fla., 41-46--87
Pat Milton, Munroe Falls, Ohio, 44-43--87
Mary Fink, Elm Grove, Wis., 45-43--88
Debbie Mooksang, Valrico, Fla., 47-42--89
Debra Matthews, Fallbrook, Calif., 49-40--89
Marsha Lutz, Walnut Creek, Calif., 44-45--89
Shirley Schaller, Boulder, Colo., 49-40--89
Joan Giese, Dubuque, Iowa, 43-47--90
Nancy Chaffee, Warren, R.I., 40-50--90
Suzy Leprino, Denver, Colo., 47-43--90
Melanie McCaffery, Huntington Beach, Calif., 46-46--92
Carolyn Harvey, Old Lyme, Conn., 45-49--94
Lily Yao, Honolulu, Hawaii, 50-44--94
Jacque Cooper, Heath, Texas, 51-45--96
Iris Owings, Phoenix, Ariz., 48-52--100