Rachel Sweeney admits she’s never had a run of birdies quite like it, and not even two lightning delays could derail her on Wednesday.
Sweeney, from Lone Tree Golf Club, made four consecutive birdies on the front nine and six overall in 15 holes as she and teammate Megan McCambridge of Boulder Country Club made it look easy in knocking off the defending champions and claiming the title in the season-opening CWGA Mashie Championship at Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins.
The two college golfers — Sweeney from Lewis University in Illinois and McCambridge from Butler in Indiana — defeated Colorado-based University of Wyoming teammates Kathleen Kershisnik and Samantha Stancato, 5 and 3 in Wednesday’s championship-flight final to earn the top spot in the four-ball match play event.
“I was on a roll,” said Sweeney, an 18-year-old graduate of Mountain Vista High School. “I felt unstoppable. Everything was working.” During her run of consecutive birdies on holes 4 through 7, Sweeney hit approach shots within 10 feet every time.
Kershisnik, who was making her third consecutive appearance in the championship finals of the Mashie, chalked it up to just being one of those days.
“She was on fire today,” the golfer from Columbine Country Club said of Sweeney. “When you can’t get putts to drop and they’re making birdies, it just makes it tough to keep up with them.”
Sweeney and McCambridge (pictured above and at left, with McCambridge in purple) carded seven best-ball birdies in 15 holes, and a couple of times, both players had birdies on the same hole. “We were pin-seeking all day,” McCambridge said.
Sometimes, even when shots were mis-hit, they turned out great. Such was the case on the par-3 15th hole. McCambridge thinned her tee shot, but it bounced and rolled up to 4 feet from the pin. And after Kershisnik and Stancato failed to make par, the putt was conceded and the match was over.
“I didn’t hit it very well but it ended up being one of those lucky bounces. It just worked out. I’ll take it,” said McCambridge, a product of Fairview High School.
Stancato and Kershisnik (pictured at left) said they played similarly to the two previous days — when they posted consecutive 5-and-4 victories — but they simply ran into a buzzsaw on Wednesday. Even after the second of two lightning delays, Sweeney and McCambridge didn’t cool off, making two birdies on their last three holes.
“We were hitting good shots into the greens but couldn’t make anything,” said Stancato, who plays out of Patty Jewett Golf Course. “It’s hard to come back when (an opponent) makes that many birdies. But we gave it our all.”
All in it, it was a stellar first appearance in the Mashie for Sweeney and McCambridge, especially considering McCambridge had never played Ptarmigan and Sweeney had never played Collindale before this week’s tournament at which both courses were used.
At the Mashie, Sweeney (left) and McCambridge defeated teams that included former Colorado State University women’s golf coach Susan Jennings, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and seven-time Mashie champion Janet Moore, and then the defending champs.
“The last few days we’ve been able to capitalize on mistakes others have made and just kind of get away with pars,” McCambridge said. “We went into today knowing we were going to need to make some birdies to make things happen — and we did.”
In all, 192 players competed in the CWGA Mashie, with the competition broken up into a dozen flights.
CWGA Mashie Championship
At Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins
(Previous Rounds Played at Ptarmigan and Collindale GC)
Championship Flight Final — Rachel Sweeney (Lone Tree)/Megan McCambridge (Boulder CC) def. Kathleen Kershisnik (Columbine)/Samantha Stancato (Patty Jewett), 5 and 3
Championship Flight Consolation — Susan Jennings (Fox Hill)/Jessica Noffsinger (Greeley CC) def. Cathy Stypula/Lisa Lee, Boulder CC, 2 up
First Flight Championship — Beth Clippinger/Christine Gingrich, South Suburban, def. Kim Gosche/Sue Davis, Saddle Rock, 5 and 4
First Flight Consolation — Nina Dulacki/Jill Kirkpatrick, Broken Tee, def. Mary Doyen/Vicki Porter, Foothills, 3 and 2
Second Flight Championship — Karen Chase (Fox Hollow)/Kim Wells (Sunset) def. Debra Bolke/Cathy Neistat, Saddle Rock, 2 and 1
Second Flight Consolation — Laura Wetzel/Karen Leuschel, Coal Creek def. Leslie Keith (Valley)/Laura Dunston (Blackstone), 2 and 1
Third Flight Championship — Nancy Wilson/Jan Carter, Indian Tree, def. Patty Smogor/Judy Maillis, Broken Tee, 3 and 2
Third Flight Consolation — Leanna Rosenow/Patricia Swanson, West Woods, def. Sue Knutson/Pam Cortez, Coal Creek, 3 and 1
Fourth Flight Championship — Lynda McManus/Caitlyn Olson, Highlands Hills, def. Kim Gould/Theresa Lange, Blackstone, 7 and 5
Fourth Flight Consolation — Darlene Evans/Becky Harkey, West Woods, def. Juliet Miner (Bear Dance)/Peggy Puckett (Wellshire), 2 and 1
Fifth Flight Championship — Lita Van Cleave/Pat Cahill, Patty Jewett, def. Norma Bisdorf/Marla Straw, Overland, 2 and 1
Fifth Flight Consolation — Diane Thompson/Regina Valis, Wellshire, def. Pat O’Connor/Irene Stein, Collindale, 2 and 1
Sixth Flight Championship — Katie Kinney (Eaton CC)/Irene Manion (Stone Canyon) def. Laura Fischer (Willis Case)/Dede Rushton (Broken Tee), 1 up
Sixth Flight Consolation — Christina Nelson/Ande Havenar, Ptarmigan, def. Claudia Gallegos (South Suburban)/Janice Campbell (Meadow Hills), 2 up
Seventh Flight Championship — Amber Leis/Meredith Nelson, Fox Hill, def. Mary Smith/Suzanne Elkins, Fox Hollow, 19 holes
Seventh Flight Consolation — Debbie Knoll/Ginny Morley, Ptarmigan, def. Anne Svec/Kris Van Bladeren, Hyland Hills, 2 up
Eighth Flight Championship — Janet Cott (Fox Hollow)/Cheryl Burget (South Suburban) def. Barb Dearing (Links)/Cathy Quesnell (Red Hawk Ridge), 1 up
Eighth Flight Consolation — Kathy Diehl (Broken Tee)/Cindy Ortega (Foothills) def. Gail Bilotta (Blackstone)/Anne Mursch (Black Bear), 1 up
Ninth Flight Championship — Ann Gruidel (Lake Valley)/Marsha Swoboda (Coal Creek) def. Vera Garrett/Bev Nalls, Meadow Hills, 3 and 1
Ninth Flight Consolation — Marilyn Hollman/Cheryl Miller, Riverdale, def. Jeanette Paone/Judy Plock, Overland, 2 and 1
Tenth Flight Championship — Audrey McEwen/Susan Wagner, Coal Creek, def. Nancy Peters/Sammy Scoma, Hyland Hills, 3 and 2
Tenth Flight Consolation — Karen Leake (Eagle Vail)/Sally Lou Schultz (Meeker) def. Roben Deines (Murphy Creek)/Susan Elliott (Riverdale), 4 and 3
Eleventh Flight Championship — Denise Bassett/Billie Dahlbach, Plum Creek, def. Lori Maul/Carolyn Bachamp, Sunset, 2 up
Eleventh Flight Consolation — Marcia Hall/Susie Goldberg, Overland, def. Jo-El Freyer (Denver CC)/Jan Lee Heath (Spreading Antlers), 2 up
