It took quite a rally on the final day, but two players with 44 CGA women’s championships between them teamed up for more on Tuesday.
Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kim Eaton of Mesa, Ariz., and Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Country Club came back from a seven-shot deficit in the final round to win the CGA Women’s Brassie Championship at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs.
The victory was Eaton’s seventh in this four-ball stroke-play event, and Moore’s fifth, but their first together. In fact, it was the first time they’ve played as partners in any CGA/CWGA women’s team event. (The two are pictured, with Moore at left.)
“We have never, ever played together as partners. It’s kind of like a no-brainer, right?” Eaton said regarding two of the more successful women’s amateurs in Colorado history.
“To me, it was nice because if I have a bad hole, I know Janet is going to be there to take care of it for me. And I think she kind of felt the same way. It was nice knowing we could count on each other. That was fun.”
Said Moore: “It was really fun for me because Kim and I have been friends for so long, so I was thrilled when she called (asking to team up). And she’s just a great player. I’m very good at picking really good partners. It was really fun to play with her.”
In addition to winning five CGA/CWGA Women’s Stroke Play titles in the 1990s, Moore has captured 16 championships in team events — the Mashie (8), Brassie (5) and the now-defunct Mixed (3). Eaton has won four Stroke Plays, one Match Play, five Senior Stroke Plays, four Senior Match Plays, one Junior Match Play, seven Brassies, one Mashie, one Chapman and one Mixed.
Add it up and that gives Eaton 25 career titles in CGA/CWGA women’s championships, tying the record of another Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, Carol Flenniken.
“It means I just need one more to beat” the record, said Eaton, whose next CGA women’s event is possibly the Senior Match Play in July, or if not that, the Senior Stroke Play in August.
And Moore is right up there on the all-time victory list as well, with 21.
“I wasn’t even aware of it until last year,” Moore said. “Then it got on my radar screen, and it’s always fun to have something to shoot for.”
Eaton, 58, and Moore, 53, trailed their fellow competitors, college golfers Delaney Benson (Creighton) and Hannah More (Colorado Mesa), by seven shots after Monday’s opening round. But the Hall of Famers teamed up for a better-ball 4-under-par 68 on Tuesday to win by one with a 4-under 140 total.
Eaton and Moore made up a lot of ground early as they played the first four holes in 1 under, while Benson and More double bogeyed the first hole and played that same stretch in 3 over.
“We made up four shots on the first four holes. That gave us some confidence there,” Moore said. “We came out with the attitude we’re going to try to do our best today and see what happens.”
Moore and Eaton ended up with five better-ball birdies and one bogey on Tuesday. And they finished strong, with Moore making birdies on 16 (from 1 foot) and 17 (25 feet). The birdie on 16, combined with a bogey by Benson and Moore put Eaton and Moore ahead for good.
“We knew there were birdies out there,” said Eaton, an eight-time CWGA Senior Player of the Year. “We just couldn’t make them yesterday (in a round of 72) and today we made a few more.”
Benson and More followed up their first-round 65 with a 76 on Tuesday to finish second at 141. They had four better-ball bogeys and one double bogey on day 2, in sharp contrast to Monday.
Kathy West, the 2017 champion with Christie Austin, joined with Sue O’Connor to claim third place at 147.
The Brassie marked the first CGA women’s championship of 2018.
Here are the Brassie champions for the various flights:
CHAMPIONSHIP
Gross: Janet Moore/Kim Eaton 72-68–140
Net: Jane Ford/Louise Lyle 67-63–130
FIRST FLIGHT
Gross: Karen Chase/Kim Wells 70-74–144
Net: Karen Chase/Kim Wells 60-63–123
SECOND FLIGHT
Gross: Terry Keller/Valerie Hunter 79-78–157
Net: Terry Keller/Valerie Hunter 66-62–128
THIRD FLIGHT
Gross: Darlene Evans/Rochelle Tisdale 81-88–169
Net: Denise Thornton/Marilyn Swedenburg 65-67–132
FOURTH FLIGHT
Gross: Barbara Degrand/Becky Hammer 83-83–166
Net: (tie) Anne Lehigh/Helene Levin 70-58–128
Barbara Degrand/Becky Hammer 64-64–128
FIFTH FLIGHT
Gross: Mary Smith/Suzanne Elkins 86-85–171
Net: Mary Smith/Suzanne Elkins 62-62–124
SIXTH FLIGHT
Gross: Bev Byer/Ramona Conner 94-92–186
Net: Kay Boyle/Tina Reeves 68-62–130
For all the scores from the Brassie, CLICK HERE.
