All in all, it was a memorable performance for Janet Moore on Thursday in U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifying at The Club at Cordillera’s Valley Course in Edwards.
Let’s count the ways:
— The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer (left) from Centennial shot a 4-under-par 32 on her front nine, a score so good she can’t remember when she last had a nine-hole total as low.
— She not only earned medalist honors at the Colorado-based U.S. Senior Women’s Am qualifying for the second straight year, but this time her even-par 72 was the best score by a whopping six strokes.
— With Thursday’s showing, Moore has gone 3-for-3 in her qualifying attempts for the Senior Women’s Amateur. Moreover, after having earned a spot last week in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, she’s now qualified for an impressive 22 individual-event USGA championships between the U.S. Women’s Am, U.S. Senior Women’s Am and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.
“I really wasn’t planning on playing that well (Thursday). It just kind of happened — and it was really fun,” said Moore, a five-time CWGA Stroke Play champion.
A year after shooting 80 in very windy conditions to finish first in the Cordillera qualifier, Moore scored considerably better on Thursday. In posting her front-nine 32, she needed just 11 putts. With a 4-over 40 on the back nine, she ended up with four birdies and four bogeys on the day.
“I can’t complain with even (par) ever,” Moore said. “I’ll always take even.”
The performance capped a very impressive last week for Moore, 52, and her husband, fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore. On Aug. 18, Janet Moore landed a spot in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur for the 16th time. And on Tuesday, Kent Moore won the CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play, the seventh different individual CGA championship that he’s claimed over the last 43 years. Then Janet ran away with medalist honors on Thursday.
“I was very pleased with my round today,” said Moore, who was in the first group off in Thursday’s qualifier. “I was a little nervous coming back here because it was so tough last year with the winds and the greens were fast and pretty firm. This year, we had a few holes in the wind, but nothing like last year. It was a different golf course this year.”
On Thursday, Janet Moore earned one of 10 available berths into the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, which will be held Sept. 17-22 at Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club.
Joining her in advancing from the 39-player field were part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy (78), who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Am; Katherine Moore-Lilly of Minneapolis (79), Kathy Malpass of Evergreen (80), Deb Hughes of Denver (80), Sandra Young of Monument (80), Bev Hoffenberg of Littleton (81), Jen Holland of Branford, Conn. (81), Jo Rasmussen of Westport, Conn. (83) and Susan Hartwell of Arvada (83). Rasmussen and Hartwell prevailed in a four-golfer playoff to earn the final two national spots, with Rasmussen qualifying on the first extra hole and Hartwell on the third.
(One group of qualifiers is pictured above, from left: Hoffenberg, Hughes, Moore, Hardy, Young, Moore-Lilly and Malpass. The other three are pictured at left, from left: Rasmussen, Hartwell and Holland.)
With her qualifying performances the last two weeks, Moore figures to have a very busy middle of September on the golf course at USGA championships. The national Women’s Mid-Am is scheduled for Sept. 10-15 in Erie, Pa., and the Senior Women’s Am starts on Sept. 27 in Massachusetts.
“I feel very grateful I’ve qualified for both and I’m excited to play in both,” Moore said. “I’ve been working on some swing changes for a while, and they’re starting to come together.”
U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Club at Cordillera’s Valley Course in Edwards
ADVANCE TO U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S AM
Janet Moore, Centennial, Colo. 32-40–72
Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas 39-39–78
Katherine Moore-Lilly, Minneapolis, Minn. 40-39–79
Deborah Hughes, Denver, Colo. 37-43–80
Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. 39-41–80
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. 40-40–80
Beverly Hoffenberg, Littleton, Colo. 39-42–81
Jen Holland, Branford, Conn. 42-39–81
Jo Rasmussen, Westport, Conn. 40-43–83
Susan Hartwell, Arvada, Colo. 40-43–83
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Barbara Paonessa, New Rochelle, N.Y. 39-44–83
Debra Woolf, Fort Worth, Texas 41-42–83
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Cindy Gilkeson, Sugarland, Texas 42-42–84
Leslie Diane Henry, Carrollton, Texas 38-46–84
Rosemary McKeown, Las Cruces, N.M. 43-41–84
Kathleen Johnson, Broomfield, Colo. 45-40–85
Carol Turnage, Anna, Texas 42-43–85
Nancy Beck, Dallas, Texas 42-44–86
Diane Henry, Kerrville, Texas 44-42–86
Liz Kennedy, Grand Junction, Colo. 43-43–86
Julie Robichaux, Kingwood, Texas 40-47–87
Alicia Bolam, Windsor, Colo. 46-44–90
Debra Bolke, Aurora, Colo. 44-46–90
Karen Hale, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 45-47–92
Charlotte Barley, Springfield, Ore. 41-52–93
Mary Doyen, Denver, Colo. 47-47–94
Kay Geitner, Centennial, Colo. 45-49–94
Mimi Petke, Mission Viejo, Calif. 46-48–94
Susie Schell, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 45-49–94
Wendy Atkinson, Westminster, Colo. 47-48–95
Julie Coleman, Grand Junction, Colo. 45-50–95
Juliet Miner, Castle Rock, Colo. 46-49–95
Lynne Janis, Denver, Colo. 47-50–97
Jean Miller, Arvada, Colo. 50-47–97
Vicki Porter, Denver, Colo. 42-55–97
Patty Smogor, Centennial, Colo. 51-47–98
Pat Oconnor, Fort Collins, Colo. 58-45–103
Patricia Neuenhoff, Chappaqua, N.Y. WD
Suzanne Sturz, Pleasantville, N.Y. WD
