When it comes to CWGA team championships, D’Ann Kimbrel and Stacey Arnold seem to have struck upon a winning formula:
Simply join forces.
The women from Willis Case Golf Course have been quite a force to be reckoned with in team events over the last 4 1/2 years, with Sunday proving just the latest example.
Kimbrel and Arnold (pictured) paired together to win their second CWGA Brassie Championship, this one by three strokes at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison. They also won the event in 2009, likewise on the Western Slope.
But that’s just the Brassie, a four-ball stroke-play event. In the other CWGA two-person team championships, Kimbrel and Arnold have combined to win three Chapman titles and one Mashie.
Add it all up and they’ve paired up to claim six CWGA team championships since 2008.
“It feels good to win again,” said Arnold, 43. “Anytime you win, it’s a good thing. We’ve known each other for 16 years, and we know each other’s games. (Ironically) we don’t ham-and-egg-it very well. We tend to play well on the same holes.”
Added Kimbrel, 53: “We team up well, but Stacey is a really good player. I ride her coattails — and that’s the truth. I help out here and there.”
On Sunday, Arnold and Kimbrel made four birdies to expand their first-round lead, shooting a 3-over-par 74 for a 7-over 149 total.
Lynne Batchelder and Nancy Ziereis, both of Valley Country Club, placed second at 152 after consecutive rounds of 76. Sally Lawrence of Broken Tee and Liz Kennedy of Tiara Rado came in third, at 154, after a final-round 78.
Laurie Steenrod, who won two previous CWGA Brassie titles at Dos Rios — in 2000 and 2008, both with Lynn Larson — finished fourth this year. She and Lisa Stone from Saddle Rock Golf Course shot two straight 79s and ended up nine strokes behind Arnold and Kimbrel.
“It was fun,” Kimbrel said of the victory in Gunnison. “We were looking for a little vacation, but once you get out there, you try to do your best. It’s fun to try to win.”
Both Batchelder and Ziereis, and Kennedy and Lawrence were ahead of Arnold and Kimbrel about a third of the way through Sunday’s round. But Arnold and Kimbrel birdied Nos. 8, 9 and 12 to pull ahead for good.
“We played with Nancy and Lynne and they started out really good,” Arnold said. “They had us worried for a while. We had to turn it on.”
Perhaps the pressure to play well for the team’s sake is one of the keys to the success of Kimbrel and Arnold.
“It’s nice to have someone on your side, but you also feel bad when you play bad,” Arnold noted.
CWGA Brassie Championship
At Par-71 Dos Rios GC in Gunnison
GROSS SCORES
Championship Flight
–75-74–149; Stacey Arnold, Willis Case GC; D’Ann Kimbrel, Willis Case GC
–76-76–152; Lynne Batchelder, Valley CC ; Nancy Ziereis, Valley CC
–76-78–154; Sally Lawrence, Broken Tee GC; Liz Kennedy, Tiara Rado GC
–79-79–158; Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock GC; Lisa Stone, Saddle Rock GC
–83-80–163; Marianne Ceriani, The Club at Rolling Hills ; Tangy Buchanan, Columbine CC
–82-83–165; Mary Pierson, Raven GC at Three Peaks; Marti Alter-Cudlip, Denver CC
First Flight
–79-74–153; Mary Jo Elder, Dos Rios GC ; Denise Mayfield, Dos Rios GC
–77-78–155; Peggy Puckett, Wellshire GC; Barbara Hall, Dos Rios GC
–81-80–161; Cathy Weber, Perry Park CC ; Chris Leger, Heather Ridge GC
–82-82–164; Denise Cohen, Kissing Camels GC; Sarah Watson, Kissing Camels GC
–83-84–167; Dot Lindsey, Buffalo Run GC; Berta Thimmig, Riverdale GC
–85-83–168; Kim Wells, Sunset GC; Karen Chase, Foothills GC
Second Flight
–82-78–160; Donna Edelen, Riverdale GC; Becky Finger, Riverdale GC
–82-79–161; Vicci Carricato, Dos Rios GC ; Janet Fennern, Dos Rios GC
–82-85–167; Sallie Gallegos, Patty Jewett GC; Patti Stringer, Patty Jewett GC
–86-85–171; Ginger Doubek, Meadow Hills GC; Mary Repetto, Foothills GC
–89-83–172; Kelli Roark, Broken Tee GC; Kristi Davis, Broken Tee GC
–92-88–180; Valerie Rock, Kissing Camels GC; Carlene Decker, Kissing Camels GC
Third Flight
–82-84–166; Pat Cahill, Patty Jewett GC; Connie Arbuckle, Valley Hi GC
–85-86–171; Nondis Lowther, Rifle Creek GC; Betsey Frazier, Devil’s Thumb GC
–85-87–172; Erin Galbreath, Glenwood Springs GC; Nancy Peterson, Glenwood Springs GC
–83-89–172; Kelly Hall, Bookcliff CC ; Vicki Riley, Bookcliff CC
–102-91–193; Pam Godfrey, Patty Jewett GC; Lita Van Cleave, Patty Jewett GC
–97-97–194; Sharon Thiel, Riverdale GC; Diane Storlie, Buffalo Run GC
Fourth Flight
–85-83–168; Sandra Schnitzer, Murphy Creek GC; Bunny Ambrose, Meadow Hills GC
–81-88–169; Debbie Childs, Lone Tree GC; Lisa Livermore, Lone Tree GC
–89-86–175; Julie Workman, Patty Jewett GC; Sharon Mcveigh, Patty Jewett GC
–86-92–178; Melissa Mcpherron, River Valley Ranch GC; Julie Warren, River Valley Ranch GC
–91-91–182; Roben Deines, Buffalo Run GC; Susan Elliott, Riverdale GC
Fifth Flight
–88-82–170; Susie Goldberg, Overland Park GC; Colleen Renner, Foothills GC
–89-91–180; Cindy Lonis, Devil’s Thumb GC; Vicki Ripp, Devil’s Thumb GC
–88-98–186; Kathy Kluck, Broken Tee GC; Lynne Smith, Broken Tee GC
–96-91–187; Vivian Heggie, Riverdale GC; Marilyn Hollman, Buffalo Run GC
–97-97–194; Caroline Wahlborg, Meadow Hills GC; Margaret Henry, Meadow Hills GC
NET SCORES
First Flight
–63-64–127; Peggy Puckett, Wellshire GC; Barbara Hall, Dos Rios GC
–68-63–131; Mary Jo Elder, Dos Rios GC ; Denise Mayfield, Dos Rios GC
–69-67–136; Cathy Weber, Perry Park CC ; Chris Leger, Heather Ridge GC
–69-69–138; Denise Cohen, Kissing Camels GC; Sarah Watson, Kissing Camels GC
–69-71–140; Dot Lindsey, Buffalo Run GC; Berta Thimmig, Riverdale GC
–74-72–146; Kim Wells, Sunset GC; Karen Chase, Foothills GC
Second Flight
–66-65–131; Vicci Carricato, Dos Rios GC ; Janet Fennern, Dos Rios GC
–69-64–133; Donna Edelen, Riverdale GC; Becky Finger, Riverdale GC
–67-70–137; Sallie Gallegos, Patty Jewett GC; Patti Stringer, Patty Jewett GC
–72-69–141; Ginger Doubek, Meadow Hills GC; Mary Repetto, Foothills GC
–73-69–142; Kelli Roark, Broken Tee GC; Kristi Davis, Broken Tee GC
–77-73–150; Valerie Rock, Kissing Camels GC; Carlene Decker, Kissing Camels GC
Third Flight
–64-66–130; Pat Cahill, Patty Jewett GC; Connie Arbuckle, Valley Hi GC
–62-71–133; Kelly Hall, Bookcliff CC ; Vicki Riley, Bookcliff CC
–68-69–137; Erin Galbreath, Glenwood Springs GC; Nancy Peterson, Glenwood Springs GC
–68-70–138; Nondis Lowther, Rifle Creek GC; Betsey Frazier, Devil’s Thumb GC
–83-73–156; Pam Godfrey, Patty Jewett GC; Lita Van Cleave, Patty Jewett GC
–79-78–157; Sharon Thiel, Riverdale GC; Diane Storlie, Buffalo Run GC
Fourth Flight
–64-64–128; Sandra Schnitzer, Murphy Creek GC; Bunny Ambrose, Meadow Hills GC
–63-69–132; Debbie Childs, Lone Tree GC; Lisa Livermore, Lone Tree GC
–70-67–137; Julie Workman, Patty Jewett GC; Sharon Mcveigh, Patty Jewett GC
–69-68–137; Roben Deines, Buffalo Run GC; Susan Elliott, Riverdale GC
–66-74–140; Melissa Mcpherron, River Valley Ranch GC; Julie Warren, River Valley Ranch GC
Fifth Flight
–63-58–121; Susie Goldberg, Overland Park GC; Colleen Renner, Foothills GC
–67-67–134; Caroline Wahlborg, Meadow Hills GC; Margaret Henry, Meadow Hills GC
–70-65–135; Vivian Heggie, Riverdale GC; Marilyn Hollman, Buffalo Run GC
–67-69–136; Cindy Lonis, Devil’s Thumb GC; Vicki Ripp, Devil’s Thumb GC
–65-76–141; Kathy Kluck, Broken Tee GC; Lynne Smith, Broken Tee GC
