A little more than 10 weeks ago, Erin Houtsma gave birth to her second child, Sally Kate, on St. Patrick’s Day.
This week, the professional golfer from Denver will leap back into competition head-first by playing not one, but two multi-round tournaments.
Perhaps this should come as no surprise considering that two years ago, Houtsma competed in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open while 6 ½ months pregnant with her first child, son Connor.
“I love competition and tournaments,” said Houtsma, who won the 2005 Colorado Women’s Open during her days as Erin Kerr. But “it will be a little bit of a challenge. I’m a little nervous about the expectations after playing so well last year” and finishing second in the CWO.
Houtsma will try to add to her stellar Colorado Women’s Open record when she plays in the 2011 version of the tournament Wednesday through Friday (June 1-3) at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver. Then on Sunday (June 5) at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, she will compete in the 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying, where 67 golfers will vie for three spots in the national tournament which will be played at the Broadmoor July 7-10.
Walking five rounds in five days while playing high-level competitive golf isn’t easy under normal circumstances, but doing so 2 ½ months after giving birth makes it an even more demanding proposition.
That’s why Houtsma recently went to what she calls a “boot camp” to get ready for this week. After receiving her doctor’s OK a month ago to resume physical activity, she spent two weeks in Phoenix in mid-May working out and getting her golf game in shape. With family there — her dad is Steve Kerr, a part-owner of both Colorado National Golf Club in Erie and The Fox Hill Club in Longmont — the babysitting of her two kids was set. With that, she had the time to devote to her golf game.
“Timing and tempo, it takes weeks of playing to get that back,” said the former University of Colorado golfer, who hasn’t competed in a tournament since October. “But it came back to me after a while.”
She played Arizona Country Club from the tips — “making it as hard as possible,” she noted — and kept all of her scores in the 70s. And now she believes she can contend for the title at the Colorado Women’s Open.
“Obviously I’d like a top-10, and I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t think I could win,” Houtsma said.
Houtsma relies on her extended family to make everything work these days. Her mother, sister and mother-in-law tag-team in babysitting the kids, and Steve Kerr has been a regular caddie for Erin at the Colorado Women’s Open. In addition, a large family contingent often follows Erin during the CWO; for instance, it isn’t unusual for an uncle to drop by Green Valley Ranch on his lunch break just to watch Erin play a couple of holes.
“It takes a village,” said Houtsma, who will be the boys golf coach at Erie High School beginning in August.
Meanwhile, Houtsma’s amateur partner at the CWO will be her husband, James Houtsma. And for the first two rounds, she’ll also be paired with amateur Janet Moore, with whom Erin was playing last year when she shot the lowest round in the history of the Colorado Women’s Open, a 7-under-par 65 on the second day at Green Valley Ranch.
In fact, Houtsma has been outstanding at the Women’s Open over the last decade. Since 2001, she has posted seven top-10 finishes, including her win in 2005 and her runner-up performance last year. Given that record, it’s not surprising that she’s the leading money winner in the history of the 16-year-old event, having racked up $26,559.
“I love the course and I always get a good gallery with my family and my husband’s family,” Houtsma said. “I seem to play well in front of people. It makes you really want to do well.”
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2011 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open
When: Wednesday through Friday (June 1-3). Tee times Wednesday and Thursday run from 7:10 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Where: Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver (4900 Himalaya Road).
Format: 54 holes of stroke play. Most of the professionals will play with amateur partners, competing simultaneously in the championship and in a best-ball pro-am team event. A cut will be made after round 2.
Purse: $73,000 total, with $55,000 going to the pros and $18,000 to the amateurs.
Field: Approximately 110 players for championship, 147 overall.
LPGA Champions in Field: Charlotta Sorenstam, winner of an LPGA event in 2000 and more than $1.5 million in her LPGA career; Cindy Figg-Currier, winner of an LPGA event in 1997 and more than $1.9 million in her LPGA career.
Fan Information: The tournament is open to spectators free of charge.
