It certainly can be taken as a good sign when golfers have won so many state amateur championships that they lose track of the exact number.
Such was the case Sunday for Christie Austin of Cherry Hills Country Club and Laurie Steenrod of Saddle Rock Golf Course, who ran away with the title in the CWGA Chapman Championship at Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks in Silverthorne. (The winners are pictured, with Steenrod at left.)
Austin and Steenrod weren’t positive — off the top of their heads — of their CWGA career victory totals. And even though a perusal of association records doesn’t provide definitive numbers, it gives a general idea where they stand.
Between them, Austin and Steenrod have won at least 20 CWGA titles. And though both have impressive individual victories to their credit — the 1995 Match Play and 2011 Senior Match Play for Steenrod, and the 2007 Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play for Austin — more than three-quarters of the win total has come in team events.
In both of their cases, however, Austin and Steenrod had never prevailed in a Chapman until Sunday. In fact, to the best of their knowledge, they hadn’t even competed in the event until this weekend.
“I thought it was delightful,” Steenrod said. “I had never won a Chapman. It was a lovely treat.”
Indeed, it was a nice leisurely outing for the two as they cruised to a 20-stroke victory in the championship flight. They posted rounds of 76-79 for a 9-over-par 155 total. Next best were Ron Irons and Pat Wenger of Eisenhower Golf Club, who went 91-84.
The Chapman features a two-person team format in which both players tee off, they hit one another’s balls for the second shot, then they pick one ball to play — alternately — into the hole.
The only thing that wasn’t such a joy over the weekend was the weather on Sunday, which was dicey in the mountains on the autumnal equinox.
Asked how cold it was Sunday, Austin said, “four layers’ worth. It’s cold and it’s rainy and it’s windy. The conditions were tougher today.”
Perhaps that — and their huge lead — had something to do with the triple bogey they posted on No. 13 Sunday. But all told for the two days, they racked up six birdies, including three on par-3s.
Especially given what’s happened in previous team events this year, Austin was happy to emerge with the trophy this time around. In both of the CWGA’s major four-ball events of 2013 — the Mashie and the Brassie — Austin and her partner placed second to University of Wyoming teammates Samantha Stancato and Kathleen Kershisnik.
“After finishing runner-up twice this summer in the four-ball, it was great to win one,” said Austin, a former USGA Executive Committee member.
CWGA Chapman Championship
At Raven GC at Three Peaks in Silverthorne
GROSS SCORES
Championship Flight
AUSTIN/ STREENROD — 76-79–155
IRONS/ WENGER — 91-84–175
COHEN/ STRINGER — 91-89–180
ALTER-CUDLIP/ BUCHANAN –95-90–185
CHASE/ WELLS — 94-92–186
HICKEY/ JONES — 98-95–193
First Flight
HORNER/TAFURI–88-75–163
QUEEN/ SCHRIEFER — 83-86–169
GOULD/ LANGE — 86-85–171
GOSCHE/ KEITH — 89-83–172
BUTTRICK/ CARTER — 90-94–184
DUNSTON/ NEISTAT — 100-84–184
GALLEGOS/GEITNER–93-92–185
GARCIA/WARD — 99-WD
Second Flight
CHILDS/ LOWE –89-89–178
LINDSEY/ THIMMING –85-94–179
DECKER/ ROCK — 96-89–185
JANIS/ ZAINHOFSKY — 95-98–193
BEGLER/ LAUX — 95-99-194
MINER/ PUCKETT — 102-93–195
FINN/ WIRTH — 103-100–203
Third Flight
BRIDSTON/ SABEY — 91-93–184
DWYER/ WHITE — 95-92–187
O’ BRIEN/ ORTEGA –96-97–193
HICKS/ RASO — 95-100–195
ADKINSON/ VAN CLEAVE — 100-95–195
PATTERSON/ WEBER — 101-96–197
EDELEN/ FINGER — 106-103–209
GODFREY/ WORKMAN — 101- WD
Fourth Flight
ARBUCKLE/ CAHILL — 95-92–187
CHOI/ QUON — 92-100–192
MCPHERRON/ WARREN — 91-101-192
CHRISTIANO/ DEPINTO — 97-102–199
BILOTTA/ THOMAS — 102-98–200
GOTTULA/ GREEN — 102-98–200
MILLER/ STORLIE — 104-99–203
JOHNSON/ SCHMIDT — 110-104–114
Fifth Flight
ROJAS/ TURNER — 89-93–182
BLACK/ DAIGLE — 98-87–185
GARRETT/ NALLS — 91-95–186
LOGAN/ TIDD — 94-97–191
AMBROSE/ SCHNITZER — 104-93–197
CURLEY/ LECHTENBERG — 103-100–203
BERGAMO/ SCHUTZ — 105-99–204
RENNER/ WHITE — 107-103–210
DEINES/ ELLIOTT — 109-WD
Sixth Flight
CARDER/ THOMPSON — 99-97–196
PAYNTER/ ROSSER — 101-97–198
DOSS/ RISMANCHI — 96-104–200
GOLDBERG/ HALL — 101-99-200
KOZIEL/ ZALONE — 109-95–204
ESSIG/ MCDOWELL — 100-107–207
ALLISON/ MAGAZINER — 108-WD
HART/ IRWIN — 111-WD
NET SCORES
Championship Flight
AUSTIN/ STREENROD — 72-75–147
IRONS/ WENGER — 81-74–155
COHEN/ STRINGER — 80-78–158
CHASE/ WELLS — 81-79–160
ALTER-CUDLIP/ BUCHANAN — 88-81–167
HICKEY/ JONES — 85-82–167
First Flight
HORNER/ TAFURI — 74-61–135
QUEEN/ SCHRIEFER — 69-72–141
GOULD/ LANGE — 72-71–143
GOSCHE/ KEITH — 75-69–144
BUTTRICK/ CARTER — 75-79–154
DUNSTON/ NEISTAT — 86-70–156
GALLEGOS/ GEITNER — 79-78–157
GARCIA/WARD — 84-WD
Second Flight
CHILDS/ LOWE — 73-73–146
LINDSEY/ THIMMING — 68-77–145
DECKER/ ROCK — 80-73–153
JANIS/ ZAINHOFSKY — 79-82–161
BEGLER/ LAUX — 78-82–160
MINER/ PUCKETT — 85-76–161
FINN/ WIRTH — 86-83–169
Third Flight
BRIDSTON/ SABEY — 73-75—148
DWYER/ WHITE — 76-73–149
O’ BRIEN/ ORTEGA — 77-78–155
HICKS/ RASO — 77–82–159
ADKINSON/ VAN CLEAVE — 82-77–159
PATTERSON/ WEBER — 82-77–159
EDELEN/ FINGER — 88-85–173
GODFREY/ WORKMAN –82-WD
Fourth Flight
ARBUCKLE/ CAHILL — 74-71–145
MCPHERRON/ WARREN — 70-80–150
CHOI/ QUON — 72-80–152
CHRISTIANO/ DEPINTO — 77-82–159
GOTTULA/ GREEN — 81-77–158
BILOTTA/ THOMAS — 82-78–160
MILLER/ STORLIE — 84-79–163
JOHNSON/ SCHMIDT — 89-83–172
Fifth Flight
ROJAS/ TURNER — 68-72–140
BLACK/ DAIGLE — 76-65–141
LOGAN/ TIDD — 70-73–143
GARRETT/ NALLS — 70-74–144
AMBROSE/ SCHNITZER — 81-70–151
BERGAMO/ SCHUTZ — 81-75–156
CURLEY/ LECHTENBERG — 81-78–159
RENNER/ WHITE — 83-79–162
DEINES/ ELLIOTT — 87-WD
Sixth Flight
DOSS/ RISMANCHI — 65-73–138
PAYNTER/ ROSSER — 77-70–144
CARDER/ THOMPSON — 74-72–146
KOZIEL/ ZALONE — 80-66–146
GOLDBERG/ HALL — 76-74–150
ESSIG/ MCDOWELL — 72-79–151
ALLISON/ MAGAZINER — 79-WD
HART/ IRWIN — 80-WD
