A very productive year of USGA championships came to an end Tuesday for Coloradans Janet Moore and Marilyn Hardy.
Both players qualified this year for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. They both made match play and advanced to the round of 32 at last month’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. And this week, they both scored match-play berths in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Vero Beach, Fla.
But on Tuesday, their hopes for a national title ended — Moore in the round of 32 and Hardy in the round of 16. (The two are pictured, with Hardy at left.)
Hardy, a part-time Gunnison resident who was seeded seventh after the stroke-play portion of the event, fell 3 and 2 in the Sweet 16 to 10th-seeded Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore. Hardy never led in the match — the second for her on Tuesday — as Tennant made five birdies in 16 holes. Hardy was 4 over for the match. (Oct. 12 Update: Tennant went on to win the national title.)
Earlier Tuesday, Hardy went 19 holes to defeat Lynne Cowan of Rocklin, Calif., in the round of 32. Hardy was 2 up through 16, but Cowan won 17 with a birdie and 18 with a par before Hardy closed out the match with a winning par on the 19th hole. Hardy finished that match 2 over par through the 19 holes.
For Moore, the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer from Centennial lost in her second match of the Senior Am, as she had two weeks ago in the U.S. Mid-Amateur. On Tuesday, the defeat came at the hands of one of the most accomplished players in the field, Ellen Port of St. Louis, who scored a 6-and-4 victory.
Moore started out strongly against Port, who’s not only a seven-time USGA champion — including a three-time winner of this event — but a friend of Moore. The Coloradan was all square with Port through seven holes, and stood 1 under par at that point.
But things turned in a hurry as Port won the next five holes and six of the next seven to clinch the victory. During that stretch, Port made four birdies and three pars.
Port finished 5 under par for 14 holes, but later in the day lost in the round of 16. Moore was 5 over total vs. Port, with the four holes from 9-12 proving costly as she was 6 over in that stretch.
Here are the results for the players with strong Colorado ties who competed in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur:
MATCH PLAY
Tuesday’s Round of 16
Lara Tennant, Portland, Ore., def. Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison, 3 and 2
Tuesday’s Round of 32
Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison, def. Lynne Cowan, Rocklin, Calif., 19 holes
Ellen Port, St. Louis, def. Janet Moore, Centennial, 6 and 4.
Monday’s Round of 64
Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison, def. Lynda Wimberly, Brentwood, Tenn., 3 and 1
Janet Moore, Centennial, def. Jackie Little, Canada, 2 and 1
Leigh Klasse, Cumberland, Wis., def. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, 8 and 7
STROKE PLAY (Saturday and Sunday)
Advance to Match Play
6. Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison 75-73–148
35. Janet Moore, Centennial 77-80–157
46. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79-81–160
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Kristine Franklin, Broomfield 86-77–163 (lost in playoff)
Kathy West, Castle Pines 83-83–166
Tiffany Maurycy, Denver 81-88–169
Helene Afeman, Colorado Springs 88-86–174
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs 88-87–175
Deb Pearson, Colorado Springs 98-99–197
For all the results, CLICK HERE.
