After Mary Doyen birdied her first hole in Tuesday’s final round of the CWGA Senior Stroke Play Championship, a thought occurred to her: “If I can do that every hole, maybe I’d have a chance” to win.
Yes, that’s how lopsided the tournament was at Greeley Country Club.
Doyen, the defending champion, only exaggerated slightly in inferring it would have taken near perfection for her — or just about anyone else in the field — to overtake Kim Eaton on the final day of the Senior Stroke Play.
Eaton, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who was competing on a course she estimates she’s played more than 1,000 times, took a six-stroke lead into Tuesday’s final round, and she was nine shots ahead of the third-place golfer.
And that was just the beginning. Eaton extended that lead considerably on Tuesday, to the point that her victory margin was one of the largest — if not the largest — in CWGA championship history.
The records are far from comprehensive, but it’s hard to imagine many wins bigger than 16 strokes. That’s how much separated Eaton from runner-up Doyen.
Eaton won her third Senior Stroke Play — she missed last year’s tournament — and her 19th CWGA championship overall, but this one was extra special, and it wasn’t because of the margin of victory.
“It’s not so much (claiming the title) the third time that I’m happy about; it’s winning on my home course that I grew up on,” said the 53-year-old former golf professional, a graduate of University High School in Greeley. “I’ve never been able to win a (state) tournament in Greeley until today.”
Eaton shot a 3-over-par 74 on Tuesday and finished at 5-over 147 for two rounds. Doyen, the player from Foothills Golf Course who won the senior division of the CWGA Match Play earlier this summer, closed with a 79 to earn second place at 163. Laurie Steenrod of Saddle Rock and Jessi McVay of CommonGround tied for third at 165.
Eaton was a member at Greeley Country Club — or the daughter of members — most of his life, though she now resides in Tempe, Ariz. So while most of the competitors struggled at the course, Eaton was right in her element. She even had some fans on hand, including her uncle, Larry Eaton, a fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer.
“It’s just nice winning in your hometown and having my aunt and uncle out watching me and telling me I played well,” said Kim Eaton, who was coming off a runner-up finish last weekend in the Senior Women’s North and South Championship in Pinehurst, N.C.
Eaton made two birdies in her final five holes Tuesday — including a chip-in on No. 17 (pictured at left) — to make her margin of victory all the more impressive.
“The golf course is set up for me; it’s long, and I hit it long,” she said.
Doyen said Eaton, a quarterfinalist two of the last three years in the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, is tough to beat anywhere, much less on a course with which she’s so familiar.
“It’s a tough course,” Doyen said. “I understand a little bit better about why Kim Eaton is such a good player, having grown up here, because you get every shot here.”
Tuesday’s victory gives Eaton 10 individual CWGA championships: three Senior Stroke Plays, four Stroke Plays, one Match Play, one Senior Match Play and a Junior Match Play. She’s also captured nine team titles: six Brassies, a Chapman, a Mashie and a Mixed.
Meanwhile, while Doyen was no match for Eaton this week, she rightfully took stock in what she’s accomplished in the last year in the Colorado women’s senior ranks. Doyen held the Senior Match Play and Senior Stroke Play trophies at the same time, and she placed second on Tuesday.
CWGA Senior Stroke Play
At Par-71/72 Greeley CC
Championship Flight
Kim Eaton, Greeley, Colo. – 73-74–147
Mary Doyen, Denver, Colo. – 84-79–163
Laurie Steenrod, Aurora, Colo. – 83-82–165
Jessi McVay, Denver, Colo. – 79-86–165
Deb Hughes, Denver, Colo. – 82-86–168
Pam Ryan, Longmont, Colo. – 85-83–168
Sue Davis, La Quinta, Calif. – 87-82–169
Sally Lawrence, Englewood, Colo. – 91-79–170
Nancy Ziereis, Centennial, Colo. – 83-87–170
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. – 86-85–171
Sheryl Larsen, Denver, Colo. – 89-87–176
First Flight
Charlotte Jorgensen, Windsor, Colo. – 80-77–157
Ruth Van Zee, Denver, Colo. – 82-81–163
Nina Dulacki, Denver, Colo. – 77-89–166
Leanna Rosenow, Denver, Colo. – 87-83–170
Liz Kennedy, Grand Junction, Colo. – 85-89–174
Katty Rothberg, Denver, Colo. – 87-87–174
Jill Kirkpatrick, Denver, Colo. – 88-86–174
Cheryl Flygare, Boulder, Colo. – 87-88–175
Linda Raunig, Denver, Colo. – 84-91–175
Mary Deming, Denver, Colo. – 87-89–176
Marianne Ceriani, Golden, Colo. – 86-90–176
Jill Kirkham, Colorado Springs, Colo. – 89-89–178
Pam Cortez, Louisville, Colo. – 88-90–178
Jan Ugale, Greenwood Village, Colo. – 93-94–187
Second Flight
Mary Repetto, Denver, Colo. – 84-84–168
Nancy Boodel, Parker, Colo. – 90-81–171
Jeanette Ali, Castle Rock, Colo. – 87-89–176
Lisa Bolam, Fort Collins, Colo. – 89-88–177
Kimalee Hull, Denver, Colo. – 90-89–179
Jan Carter, Lafayette, Colo. – 91-89–180
Jenny Tempas, Littleton, Colo. – 93-88–181
Bobby Jackson, Denver, Colo. – 94-88–182
Dot Lindsey, Brighton, Colo. – 95-89–184
Jan Milne, Fort Collins, Colo. – 92-92–184
Marilyn Heustis, Denver, Colo. – 86-100–186
Kathryn Davis, Castle Rock, Colo. – 95-92–187
Patricia Swanson, Arvada, Colo. – 97-93–190
Peggy Puckett, Denver, Colo. – 94-100–194
Third Flight
Donna Edelen, Thornton, Colo. – 94-83–177
Kay Geitner, Centennial, Colo. – 94-84–178
Sue Knutson, Superior, Colo. – 90-91–181
Darlene Evans, Arvada, Colo. – 91-90–181
Paulette Jerpe, Golden, Colo. – 92-90–182
Juna Orr, Denver, Colo. – 91-91–182
Karen Leuschel, Lafayette, Colo. – 90-94–184
Vicki Porter, Denver, Colo. – 93-92–185
Juliet Miner, Castle Rock, Colo. – 96-90–186
Mary Smith, Arvada, Colo. – 98-89–187
Barbara Whinery, Greeley, Colo. – 89-99–188
Karen Chase, Littleton, Colo. – 96-92–188
Lyndon Lieb, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 100-93–193
Pat Kuntz, Tempe, Ariz. – 97-97–194
Jane Anhold, Lakewood, Colo. – 102-93–195
Katie Kinney, Eaton, Colo. – 94-102–196
Joanne Braucht, Cotopaxi, Colo. – 112-95–207
Fourth Flight
Berta Thimmig, Brighton, Colo. – 87-87–174
Nondis Lowther, Rifle, Colo. – 86-90–176
Claudia Gallegos, Lone Tree, Colo. – 92-87–179
Jenny Elliott, Arvada, Colo. – 95-85–180
Patricia Tracy, Greeley, Colo. – 95-91–186
Pat O’Connor, Fort Collins, Colo. – 95-91–186
Judy Maillis, Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 90-99–189
Barbara Mcgrath, Denver, Colo. – 94-98–192
Paula Maes, Castle Rock, Colo. – 96-97–193
Paula Sinn-Penfold, Boulder, Colo. – 99-100–199
Andrea Youngers, Windsor, Colo. – 102-98–200
Nancy Wilson, Denver, Colo. – 93-WD–WD
Fifth Flight
Cindy Christiano, Franktown, Colo. – 88-96–184
Irene Stein, Fort Collins, Colo. – 94-97–191
Marsha Swoboda, Boulder, Colo. – 100-94–194
Carolyn Lawson, Arvada, Colo. – 100-94–194
Laura Laux, Golden, Colo. – 97-98–195
Sandra Schnitzer, Erie, Colo. – 99-97–196
Barbara Bender, Broomfield, Colo. – 94-103–197
Sharon Thiel, Thornton, Colo. – 100-99–199
Bunny Ambrose, Aurora, Colo. – 101-102–203
Joan Schempp, Boulder, Colo. – 104-100–204
Vickie Sugar, Lakewood, Colo. – 108-102–210
Reed Wolff, Denver, Colo. – 113-102–215
Sixth Flight
Susan Schroeder, Castle Rock, Colo. – 97-99–196
Becky Finger, Thornton, Colo. – 101-96–197
Pam Penfold, Boulder, Colo. – 101-101–202
Mary Davidson, Longmont, Colo. – 99-104–203
Barbara White, Thornton, Colo. – 107-96–203
Laurie Schlager, Centennial, Colo. – 103-103–206
Sherry Lewis, Avon, Colo. – 100-108–208
Kathy Flynn, Longmont, Colo. – 107-103–210
Cogie Elzea, Thornton, Colo. – 105-108–213
Sammy Scoma, Westminster, Colo. – 106-109–215
Dianna Pfeifer, Fort Morgan, Colo. – 107-109–216
Wilhelmina Colvill, Evergreen, Colo. – 108-NS–NS
Seventh Flight
Lucille Carroll, Lafayette, Colo. – 104-98–202
Cindy Gilbert, Vail, Colo. – 108-99–207
Connie Comer, Loveland, Colo. – 105-104–209
Nancy Peters, Westminster, Colo. – 100-109–209
Mary Lou Ray, Aurora, Colo. – 105-108–213
Cookie Henry, Arvada, Colo. – 108-106–214
Julie Berge, Aurora, Colo. – 112-103–215
Phyllis Finlay, Vail, Colo. – 111-111–222
Kathy Mansueto, Denver, Colo. – 115-112–227
Karen Leake, Avon, Colo. – 115-121–236
