Janet Moore seems to have these U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying tournaments down pat. On Tuesday, the Centennial resident not only earned a spot in the national championship for the fourth time in as many attempts, but she’s been medalist each of the last three years at the Colorado qualifying site.
The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer shared medalist honors this time around, at Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash. Moore, Susan Hartwell of Arvada and part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy each shot 8-over-par 80 to lead a field of 39 on Tuesday.
“I was surprised to see that 80 was medalist,” said Moore, who recently turned 53. “I was just hoping it would qualify. When I saw we were medalists, I said to Marilyn (a playing partner on Tuesday), ‘Oh my goodness, medalist at 80.’ Marilyn said, ‘Hey, we worked hard for that 80.’ We’ll take it.”
Moore, Hartwell and Hardy were three of 10 players who qualified on Tuesday for the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, which will be contested Sept. 9-14 at Waverley Country Club in Porland, Ore. (The medalists are pictured, from left: Moore, Hardy and Hartwell.)
Also advancing to the national championship from Pole Creek were:
Sue Davis of Aurora (81)
Kathy Malpass of Evergreen (81)
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver (82)
Rosemary McKeown of Las Cruces, N.M. (82)
Sandra Bickel of La Porte (82)
Kristine Franklin of Broomfield (82)
Lisa Lee of Longmont (83)
Malpass — like Moore, Hartwell and Hardy — also qualified in Colorado last year for the U.S. Senior Women’s Am. (In fact, Malpass has qualified for five consecutive years from Colorado sites.) Malpass and Moore advanced to the round of 64 of match play at the 2016 national championship, while Hardy made it to the round of 16, where she lost to Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time. Hardy was national quarterfinalist in this event in 2013.
Austin, a past member of the USGA Executive Committee, has likewise competed in multiple U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs.
On Tuesday, Moore made her only birdie of the day on the final hole — from 18 feet — to share medalist honors.
“I struggled. I didn’t play my best,” said Moore, who was assisted in Tuesday’s round by husband/caddie Kent, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer in his own right. “It was frustrating. But Kent helped me stay in it.”
Moore has now qualified for a whopping 23 USGA individual championships between the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Senior Women’s Am and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am. And in this case, she did so after an offseason in which she went about six months without playing due to a problematic back.
“Every USGA and national championship is very special,” said the five-time CWGA Stroke Play champion. “The USGA does great job. There are so many great players. It’s always a thrill.”
Hardy, who was paired with Moore, likewise had her husband caddie for her on Tuesday — noted swing instructor Jim Hardy. She didn’t make a birdie at Pole Creek, but parred her final six holes to tie for medalist honors.
In earning her second straight trip to the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, Hartwell made three birdies on Tuesday, including one on No. 17 where she bounced back after a double bogey on No. 16. Then she parred the 18th.
U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Pole Creek GC in Tabernash
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Janet Moore, Centennial, Colo. 41-39–80
Susan Hartwell, Arvada, Colo. 39-41–80
Marilyn Hardy, Magnolia, Texas 42-38–80
Sue Davis, Aurora, Colo. 42-39–81
Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. 42-39–81
Christie Austin, Denver, Colo. 40-42–82
Rosemary McKeown, Las Cruces, N.M. 42-40–82
Sandra Bickel, La Porte, Colo. 45-37–82
Kristine Franklin, Broomfield, Colo. 40-42–82
Lisa Lee, Longmont, Colo. 39-44–83
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Nancy Ziereis, Centennial, Colo. 42-41″”83
Kathy West, Tulsa, Okla. 44-40″”84
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Christine Hoffee, Albuquerque, N.M. 41-43–84
Christina Nelson, Fort Collins, Colo. 41-43–84
Jewell Malick, Heath, Texas 41-44–85
Leanna Rosenow, Arvada, Colo. 42-44–86
Julie Robichaux, Kingwood, Texas 43-43–86
Shawna Ianson, Boise, Idaho 41-45–86
Louise Lyle, Colorado Springs, Colo. 45-41–86
Katherine Moore-Lilly, Longboat Key, Fla. 39-48–87
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs, Colo. 44-44–88
Elizabeth Kennedy, Grand Junction, Colo. 43-45–88
Deborah Hughes, Denver, Colo. 46-42–88
Beverly Hoffenberg, Littleton, Colo. 44-44–88
Meghan Christensen, Houston, Texas 44-45–89
Debra Woolf, Fort Worth, Texas 45-44–89
Georgia Hutchinson, Sun Valley, Idaho 41-52–93
Wendy Atkinson, Westminster, Colo. 43-50–93
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. 49-45–94
Lisa Bolam, Windsor, Colo. 47-48–95
Kathleen Johnson, Broomfield, Colo. 46-51–97
Dee Baker, Florissant, Colo. 48-49–97
Catherine Stypula, Boulder, Colo. 51-46–97
Krista Morgan, Breckenridge, Colo. 47-51–98
Karen Hale, Castle Rock, Colo. 51-49–100
Jean Miller, Arvada, Colo. 50-52–102
Patricia O’Connor, Fort Collins, Colo. 50-53–103
Karen Honnessy, Eagle, Colo. 54-50–104
Christine Gingrich, Centennial, Colo. 48-58–106
Julia Roth, Driggs, Idaho WD
