There are certainly worse ways to spend your birthday than playing golf at scenic Perry Park Country Club while cruising to victory in a CWGA championship.
Just ask Colorado State University women’s golf head coach Annie Young, who celebrated turning 34 on Wednesday by easily winning the CWGA Brassie with one of her players, CSU senior Elisabeth Rau.
To add an extra layer of frosting to her birthday cake, teams of coaches and players from CSU finished 1-2 Wednesday in the championship flight of the event, with Young and Rau earning bragging rights with a hefty nine-stroke victory. (The champs are pictured together, with Rau at left, and again below.)
CSU assistant coach Jessa LaBarbera teamed with incoming freshman Ellen Secor from Portland to place a distant second.
“They had (done) plenty of trash talking before,” Young noted of LaBarbera and Secor.
“It was actually our goal to play with them today so we could give each other crap,” Secor said.
All in good fun, mind you.
Young, the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion and a two-time Big 12 Conference winner, and Rau shot a 4-under-par 68 Wednesday at Perry Park — the best score of the four-ball stroke-play event — to finish with a 7-under 137, the lowest winning total for the Brassie since 2009.
The winners, both competing in a CWGA championship for the first time, played their last 14 holes in 6 under par after having been 2 over through four. “We were like, ‘We’ve got to wake up,'” Young said of their slow start. “Then a couple of putts fell, and you get rolling.”
Meanwhile, LaBarbera and Secor (left) shot an even-par 72 Wednesday to finish at 2-over 146.
Caroline Jordaan and Jordan Remley, two of the better junior players in the state, took third place — and finished as the top non-Rams in the championship field — at 148 after back-to-back 74s.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad performance for the champions considering Young had played in just one tournament — this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying — in the last seven or eight years, by her reckoning. Her tournament play has been very limited since accepting the Oklahoma State women’s coaching job in 2008 despite having advanced to the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying.
“This tournament, I was like, ‘I’ll have plenty of time to practice,'” she said. “I played in a scramble and one other round of golf (in preparation). But it’s so different when you’ve got a good teammate. It’s easy to play golf when you can count on somebody else.
“It was fun. This was a perfect event if you don’t get to play a ton of golf.”
And Rau hasn’t exactly been a tournament-playing machine this summer, either. The Texan took about six weeks off from golf while she attended summer school. In fact, it was Rau’s lack of play that was partly the impetus for Young signing the two up for the Brassie. And that led to Young suggesting that LaBarbera enter too, with Secor.
Despite their lack of much time playing golf this summer, Young and Rau managed to cover for one another and racked up 11 birdies in two days at Perry Park.
“We worked well together,” Rau said of she and Young. “We had fun out there, which was the most important thing. I’ve been with her the last three years so I know she knows my game and we’re really comfortable with each other.
“There was some coaching, but it was more teamwork than anything. I helped her with putts, she helped me. Even on the golf course now (during the college season), it’s not so much coaching as it is having someone out there to support you.”
Meanwhile, the two CSU teams, which played in back-to-back groups on the course each day, didn’t hesitate in giving each other friendly grief throughout the tournament.
“We were yelling back and forth tee to green,” reported LaBarbera, who played under Young before becoming her assistant. “They were in front of us yesterday (in the pairings) and we were in front today. They kept on saying, ‘Come on, let’s go’ the whole time.”
All of which left Secor and LaBarbera seeking to avenge their loss.
“We said, ‘We want a rematch’ and they’re like, ‘No, no, no.’ We’ll see,” Secor said.
After their playful back and forth on the course, Rau noted later, “We’re graceful winners now.”
Joining Young/Rau as gross champions in the Brassie Wednesday were Kathy Malpass/Katherine Moore-Lilly (first flight), Cathy Skrine/Jo Ann Higgins and Pam Cortez/Sue Knutson (tie, second flight), Jacquelyn Danner/Julie Krueger (third flight), Bonnie Catalano/Pam Levkulich (fourth flight), Gay Scovel/Julie Workman (fifth flight), Carol Casteel/Ronda Palsulich (sixth flight) and Lucille Moreno-Peacock/Lourdes Swanson and Harlene Bowman/Judy Fountaine (tie, seventh flight).
CWGA Brassie Championship
At Par-72 Perry Park CC in Larkspur
GROSS SCORES
Championship Flight
Annie Young, Ptarmigan CC Wga / Elisabeth Rau, The Sports Club Four Seasons R–69-68–137
Jessa LaBarbera, Ptarmigan Country Club / Ellen Secor, Loveland Wga–74-72–146
Caroline Jordaan, Cherry Hills CC WGA / Jordan Remley, Jgac Club–74-74–148
Amy Morrow, Perry Park CC Wga / Sara Swaney, Perry Park CC Wga–73-76–149
Allie Johnston, Red Hawk Ridge Wga / Janet Moore, Cherry Hills CC Wga–74-77–151
Tori Glenn, Ridge at Castle Pines N Wga / Christie Austin, Cherry Hills CC Wga–74-77–151
Ann Guiberson, Willis Case WGA / Lynn Zmistowski, Willis Case Wga–79-76–155
Meghan Christensen, Cordillera WGA / Terri Katz, Cordillera Wga – Valley–85-81–166
First Flight
Kathy Malpass, Hiwan Wga / Katherine Moore-Lilly, Cordillera Wga – Valley–73-73–146
Kelly Martin, Fox Hollow Lgc / Mariko Coplin, Willis Case Wga–73-79–152
Kim Wells, Sunset Wga / Karen Chase, Fox Hollow Lgc–78-76–154
Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock Wga / Lynn Larson, Pinery CC Wga–77-77–154
LeAnna Rosenow, West Woods Wgc / Debbie Mills, Meridian Wga–78-78–156
Sue Hartwell, West Woods Wgc / Jean Miller, West Woods Wgc–83-75–158
Lynne Batchelder, Valley CC Wga / Nancy Ziereis, Valley CC Wga–79-80–159
Kelli Poppenhagen, Meadow Hills Wga / Laura Stuto, Denver Athletic Club Wga–84-79–163
Laura Dunston, Canongate Colorado Wgc / Meagan Arvidson, Lga at Blackstone/Black Bear–80-85–165
Second Flight
Pam Cortez, Coal Creek Wga / Sue Knutson, Coal Creek Wga–78-84–162
Jo Ann Higgins, Fox Hill Club Wga / Cathy Skrine, Fox Hill Club Wga–80-82–162
Claudia Gallegos, South Suburban Wga / Ann Cates, South Suburban Wga–86-81–167
Kay Geitner, Littleton Lgc / Marie Schriefer, South Suburban Wga–85-82–167
Chris Jansen, Broken Tee Wgl / Janis Ward, Red Rocks CC Lga–85-84–169
Juliet Miner, Bear Dance Wga / Lisa Bolam, Highland Meadows GC–86-83–169
Penny Berg, West Woods Wgc / Rochelle Tisdale, West Woods Wga–86-85–171
Darlene Evans, West Woods Wga / Lynn Benjamin, West Woods Wgc–88-87–175
Third Flight
Jacquelyn Danner, Castle Pines Wga / Julie Krueger, Lone Tree Lga–83-84–167
Berta Thimmig, Riverdale Wga / Dot Lindsey, Riverdale Wga–87-83–170
Valerie Rock, Kissing Camels Lga / Carlene Decker, Kissing Camels Lga–81-89–170
Janine Lowe, South Suburban Wga / Ellen Thomas, Canongate Colorado Wgc–84-87–171
Lyndon Lieb, Broken Tee Englewood Wga / Judy Maillis, Broken Tee Englewood Wga–90-84–174
Karen Leuschel, Riverdale Wga / Connie Brodt, Fox Hill Club Wga–84-91–175
Jan Carter, Indian Tree Wga / Nancy Wilson, Indian Tree Wga–89-87–176
Cathy Quesnell, Red Hawk Ridge Lgc / Patti Godette, Red Hawk Ridge Lgc–92-88–180
Fourth Flight
Pam Levkulich, Cherry Creek CC Wga / Bonnie Catalano, Heritage Eagle Bend Wga–81-86–167
Becky Hammer, Kissing Camels Lga / Lita Van Cleave, Patty Jewett Wgc–83-87–170
Marla Straw, Overland Park Wgc / Norma Bisdorf, Overland Park Wgc–85-86–171
Margaret Breakey, Kissing Camels Lga / Dawn Kay Vaughn, Kissing Camels Lga–82-89–171
Cindy Ortega, Foothills Wga / Kathy Diehl, Broken Tee Englewood Wga–88-87–175
Maria Erlinda Trujillo, / Doreen Tallman, South Suburban Wga–93-86–179
Sharon Thiel, Riverdale Wga / Diane Storlie, Riverdale Wga–89-91–180
Donna Edelen, Riverdale Wga / Becky Finger, Riverdale Wga–91-89–180
Fifth Flight
Gay Scovel, Patty Jewett Wgc / Julie Workman, Patty Jewett Wga–91-88–179
Barbara Bostwick, Broken Tee Englewood Wga / Linda Brown-Stiller, Broken Tee Wgl–90-91–181
Pam Thompson, Kissing Camels Lga / Susan Gaston, Kissing Camels Lga–90-92–182
Mari Johnson, Broken Tee Englewood Wga / Pamela Schmidt, Broken Tee Englewood Wga–93-93–186
Jennie Jones, Littleton Lgc / Janice Campbell, Meadow Hills Wga–92-94–186
Beverly Byer, Wellshire Wga / Ramona Conner, Murphy Creek Wga–95-93–188
Chris Leger, Heather Ridge Golf Club Wga / Sharon Berkowitz, Heather Ridge Golf Club Wga–92-97–189
Susan Elliott, Riverdale Wga / Deanna Messerli, Riverdale Wga–95-100–195
Sixth Flight
Carol Casteel, South Suburban Wga / Ronda Palsulich, Lone Tree Lga–92-92–184
Kathy Mansueto, Broken Tee Wgl / Betty-Ann Wittenberg, Broken Tee Englewood Wga–95-91–186
Nancy Peters, Hyland Hills Wga / Sammy Scoma, Hyland Hills Wga–97-94–191
Barbara Bender, Coal Creek Wga / Lucille Carroll, Coal Creek GC–99-93–192
Laura Laux, Foothills Wga / JoAnn Smith, Foothills Wga–96-96–192
Jayne Graham, Valley CC Wga / Bethany Atkins, Valley CC –100-92–192
Bunny Ambrose, Riverdale Wga / Mary Bunch, Riverdale GC–98-99–197
Clarissa Gliksman, Overland Park GC / Jeanne Surbrugg, Overland Park Wgc–100-105–205
Seventh Flight
Lucille Moreno-Peacock, Overland Park Wgc / Lourdes Swanson, Commonground Wgc–101-94–195
Harlene Bowman, South Suburban Wga / Judy Fountaine, –95-100–195
Margie Doss, Meadow Hills Wga / Rose Rismanchi, Aurora Hills Wga–96-102–198
Judi Hart, Foothills Wga / Barbara Irwin, Foothills Wga–97-102–199
Audrey McEwen, Coal Creek Wga / Susan Wagner, Coal Creek Wga–101-98–199
Tina Reeves, Broadlands GC / Kay Boyle, Eagle Trace Lga–104-101–205
Jan Squires, West Woods Wgc / Monita Pacheco, Fossil Trace Wga–105-100–205
