A team from outside the Denver metro area had won the CWGA Club Team Championship just once — and never when the event was contested in the metro area — but a squad from Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs broke new ground in an emphatic way on Monday.
With many competitors getting into the spirit of the event by wearing color-coordinated outfits at Valley Country Club, the team in pink from Colorado Springs ruled the day.
Though none of its four team members had played in the event before, Patty Jewett caught on quickly in posting a nine-shot victory in the ABCD stroke play format in which the scores of four players of significantly varying abilities are added up for a gross aggregate team total. Patty Jewett’s final tally of 363 was just four strokes off the tournament record, set last year by South Suburban.
Patty Jewett’s winning foursome — out of a 32-team field — consisted of Louise Lyle, who shot a 10-over-par 82; Hilary Dussing (86); Lita Van Cleave (91) and Beth Lindquist (104). (Pictured above are the champions, from left: Lindquist, Dussing, Lyle and Van Cleave. At left are Van Cleave and Lyle holding the trophy.)
“It’s nice (to prevail) because the Denver clubs seem to win everything,” Lyle said. “It’s nice to be like the little club that could. Our club itself is going to be so ridiculously happy. That’s what makes me so excited about it.”
Added Van Cleave: “They’ll be screaming. It’ll be so much fun. I’m excited about it because we’re a public course down in Colorado Springs and we want to make our club proud. It’s just a joy to be allowed to be part of this team.”
Patty Jewett, which hosted the first CWGA championship 100 years ago last month, joined the 2012 squad from the Country Club of Colorado as the only Colorado Springs teams to have won this event. The Country Club of Colorado prevailed at its home club four years ago.
Hyland Hills, The Club at Rolling Hills and the team from Blackstone/Blake Bear shared second place Monday at 372, while host Valley CC was fifth at 373.
South Suburban, winner of this event the last two years, placed ninth at 380 in the last CWGA championship of 2016.
In tying for second place individually, Lyle chalked up a birdie and eight pars in very windy conditions, while Dussing made a birdie and six pars, Van Cleave six pars, and Lindquist two.
“Everybody had bad shots (and) everybody had a bad hole or two,” Van Cleave said. “But we all had some good holes too. On a few of the holes, we all had good holes together. The D player (Lindquist) was getting some pars. That helped everyone involved.”
When asked after the round what they had shot individually, neither Lyle nor Van Cleave knew right away.
“We were just trying to play as a team,” Lyle said. “Somebody would have a bad hole, but someone else would have a par, and it’s like, ‘OK, we’re good.’ We weren’t trying to keep track of numbers. We were just thinking middle of the pack is great. We really didn’t have any expectations coming in. We just wanted to have a good time, and it just ended up that we pulled it out.
“Hilary had a couple of crazy chips that went about 6 inches from the cup. We all had some really good shots. It wasn’t like one person.”
Van Cleave wasn’t even originally scheduled to be on the squad competing at the Club Team Championship, but when another competitor’s handicap went down too much to be a C player, Van Cleave received a call.
“They said, ‘Can you fill in for us?’ I said, ‘You bet, because I’ve wanted to do this for many years,'” Van Cleave recalled. “You have to be asked at our club. I felt very honored to have this opportunity to play.”
Individually on Monday, Nina Dulacki of Broken Tee shot the best score of the day overall, an 8-over-par 80. Lyle and former CWGA Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play champion Mary Doyen from Foothills tied for second place in the individual competition at 82.
CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par -72 Valley CC in Centennial
Patty Jewett 174-189–363
(Patty Jewett Team Members: Louise Lyle 38-44–82; Hilary Dussing 42-44–86; Lita Van Cleave 44-47–91; Beth Lindquist 50-54–104)
Blackstone/Black Bear 186-186–372
Hyland Hills 185-187–372
The Club at Rolling Hills 187-185–372
Valley CC 190-183–373
Spring Valley 194-180–374
Broken Tee 189-186–375
Glenmoor CC 189-190–379
South Suburban 194-186–380
Colorado Golf Club 188-194–382
Kissing Camels 193-190–383
Pinery CC 192-191–383
Wellshire 187-196–383
Fox Hollow 192-194–386
West Woods 200-187–387
The Meadows 189-200–389
Heritage Eagle Bend 198-193–391
Willis Case 197-194–391
Foothills 198-195–393
Lake Valley 198-195–393
Highlands Ranch 199-198–397
Overland Park 196-204–400
Pinehurst CC 209-191–400
Littleton 205-198–403
Red Hawk Ridge 204-199–403
Meadow Hills 210-194–404
The Ranch CC 208-199–407
Saddle Rock 204-208–412
Fitzsimons 203-219–422
Pradera 214-214–428
Raccoon Creek 220-213–433
Indian Peaks NC
