By her own estimation, Cathy Stypula has played hundreds of rounds of golf at Boulder Country Club.
But none was as good as Thursday’s, which just happened to come in the qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
Stypula, a member at Boulder Country Club since 1997 and a full golf member since 2001, shot a 1-over-par 73 and shared medalist honors with part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy. (Stypula, in yellow, is pictured with Hardy.)
Considering Hardy has made it to the semifinals and quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur — in separate years — and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, tying her for medalist is no small feat.
“This is the best round I’ve ever played — and on a big day,” said the 59-year-old Stypula, a former girls golf coach at Fairview High School. “This is probably my biggest (golf) accomplishment. My feeling is working with girls stands a little higher, but in competition, this is the biggest.”
In all, seven players out of Thursday’s field of 20 earned spots into the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, which is limited to players 25 and older. The national championship is scheduled for Sept. 6-11 in Noblesville, Ind.
Joining Stypula and Hardy in qualifying were Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Village (74), former USGA Executive Committee member Christie Austin of Greenwood Village (77), Shannon Langhardt of Lakewood (78), Kareen Markle of Eagle, Idaho (78) and Lynn Fischer of Niwot (81 and winning a playoff against Blair Fraser of Boulder).
Hardy, who’s married to nationally recognized golf instructor Jim Hardy, has competed in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am more than 20 times, while Moore has played in a dozen.
Stypula, the BCC senior women’s club champion each of the last two years, will be competing in the national Mid-Amateur for the first time.
“It sounds like fun,” she said.
Stypula actually shot a 73 in one previous round at Boulder Country Club this year, but that came on a set of tee boxes much shorter than Thursday’s, which measured 6,175 yards. Before Thursday, she had played those tees just twice.
For the day, Stypula finished with four birdies and five bogeys. Her four birdie putts ranged from 15 feet to the 35-footer she drained on No. 18.
“Those were just gifts,” said Stypula, who owns a handicap index of just under 6.0. “It was a really lovely day.”
Though players as young as 25 can compete in the Mid-Am, all of Monday’s top four scorers are at least 49 years old.
Hardy, despite her credentials, had to rally Thursday after starting poorly. She double-bogeyed her first hole and was 4 over par after four. But she went 3 under par for her last 14 holes and finished birdie-birdie-par.
“I knew I had a lot of golf in front of me” after the slow start, said Hardy, 52. “I was thinking, ‘One hole at a time and make pars.’ I drove the ball really well and love the golf course.”
Hardy, a former basketball and volleyball player at UC-Irvine, has played in a number of USGA qualifiers in Colorado in recent years. This trip to Boulder was about a 4 1/2-hour drive from the Hardys’ home near Gunnison. The Hardys, who live in Houston most of the year, are members at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison.
“We enjoy it so much,” Marilyn Hardy said of living in the area during the summer. “There’s so much to do out here.”
U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
At Par-72 Boulder CC
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Marilyn Hardy, Houston TX 38-35–73
Catherine Stypula, Boulder CO 36-37–73
Janet Moore, Cherry Hills Village, CO 35-39–74
Christie Austin, Greenwood Village, CO 40-37–77
Kareen Markle, Eagle, ID 39-39–78
Shannon Langhardt, Lakewood CO 37-41–78
Lynn Fischer Niwot, CO 38-43–81
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Blair Fraser, Boulder, CO 40-41–81
Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, UT 39-43–82
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Meghan Christensen, Vail Colorado 43-42–85
Karen Hale Boynton Beach FL 43-42–85
Suzanne Smith, Breckenridge, CO 42-44–86
Janice Roberts Wilson, Northeast, FL 43-44–87
Lisa Lee, Longmont, CO 42-47–89
Katy Rothberg, Denver CO 46-43–89
Jessi McVay, Denver, CO 43-47–90
Joanna Ringsby, Denver, CO 49-41–90
Beverly Hoffenberg, Greenwood Village, CO 45-46–91
Sue Davis, Denver, CO 45-46–91
Jennifer Hocking Colorado Springs, CO WD
