Some history could be made this week at the 103rd CGA Women’s Match Play Championship at The Fox Hill Club in Longmont.
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who won her first CGA/CWGA championship at the 1977 Colorado Junior Match Play, will attempt to make the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play title No. 26 on her Colorado state resume. If she does prevail at The Fox Hill Club, she’ll break the career record of Carol Flenniken, another Colorado Golf Hall of Famer.
The Women’s Match Play will begin with a stroke-play qualifying round on Tuesday (July 10) for players attempting to qualify for the championship or senior championship divisions. Then match play begins on Wednesday, with 16 players advancing to the open championship bracket and eight to that of the senior championship. The competition will conclude on Friday with championship matches in each flight, including a 36-holer for the open-division finalists.
Eaton, now a full-time resident of Arizona, tied Flenniken’s all-time mark by teaming up with Janet Moore to claim the title in the CGA Women’s Brassie in May. In addition to that being Eaton’s 25th career CGA/CWGA title, it was Moore’s 21st. But the latter won’t be competing in the Match Play as she qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club.
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.
Joining Eaton in the senior field in Longmont will be 2014 champion Deb Hughes; Susan Hartwell, who made the round of 32 — along with Eaton — at last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur; and Kristine Franklin, who likewise advanced to match play at the national Senior Women’s Am in 2017.
As for the open division, Emily Gilbreth, a former University of Houston golfer, will be back to defend her title, while 2017 runner-up Maddie Kern will also return.
Likewise in the open field are University of Denver golfer Mary Weinstein and University of Colorado player Gillian Vance, both of whom recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur; and former Match Play runner-up Jaylee Tait.
For Tuesday’s pairings, CLICK HERE.
