The last time Kristine Franklin raised a CGA/CWGA trophy that she’d won, her name was Kris Hoos, she wasn’t yet married or had any kids, she hadn’t yet turned pro — and it was 32 years ago.

On Tuesday — seemingly a lifetime after winning the 1986 CWGA Stroke Play, now with a family that includes a husband and two sons, and having long ago regained her amateur status — Franklin revisited the good old days by winning her second CGA/CWGA title.

And not only did the Broomfield resident capture the title in the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play, she did so by beating five-time champion Kim Eaton — and on Eaton’s home course of her younger days, Greeley Country Club.

“To play well enough against her was wonderful,” said the 52-year-old Franklin. “I love that she hit such great shots (into greens) right after me. That was really neat. She’s such a competitor. To play against her and be on top was unbelievable.”

After three-putting the 18th green — missing a 4-foot par attempt — in Tuesday’s final round to allow a playoff, Franklin landed the victory with a par on the first hole of sudden death as an uncharacteristic shank by Eaton on her greenside pitch shot led to a bogey.

“She gave me a break on 18 by missing that putt, then I go and do that,” said a frustrated Eaton, who had missed a 3-foot par putt on that same hole earlier in the day. “I would at least like to have given her a little better fight (in the playoff).”

Franklin, wife of University of Colorado women’s golf assistant coach Brent Franklin and the mother of one of the top junior players in the state (Franklin, younger brother of Jaxon), played her final 12 holes of regulation in even-par, shooting her second straight 2-over-par 74. That left the golfer from Colorado National (left and above) tied with Eaton, who had led by one stroke after 12 holes on Tuesday but bogeyed three times in her final seven holes, including the playoff. Eaton, a 59-year-old who now lives in Mesa, Ariz., missed two birdie putts inside of 10 feet on the 15th and 16th holes.

In sudden death, after Eaton’s shank (below) had resulted in a bogey, Franklin putted from just over the green, 20 feet from the flag, to within 6 inches and tapped in for the title.

After being under pressure with good shots by Eaton all day, Franklin was relieved to win it in relatively easy fashion.

“To have it end that way, I was so thankful,” said Franklin, who opted not to know where she stood all day, until a conversation with cartmate Eaton made it apparent heading up to the 18th green that she was one ahead.

“I’m like, ‘Why did I say anything?’ You are so stupid.”’ Franklin said of being informed of her status relative to Eaton.

Franklin, a former director of operations for Ricardo Patton when the latter was the head men’s basketball coach at CU, dedicated Tuesday’s win to her dad, George Hoos, a longtime high school golf coach in Boulder and a fixture in the Colorado golf community, who is battling leukemia.

“I really wanted to do this for my dad,” said Franklin, who returned to competitive golf just last year after a layoff of 18 years. “I just can’t wait to tell my dad (about winning).

“I get so much joy from watching my kids play. I didn’t realize that back when I played that my parents got that much joy. So I thought maybe if I started playing again …”

Franklin had a friend, Lara Tennant, talk her into returning to competition in 2017 after last competing in the 1999 Colorado Women’s Open, where she lost in a playoff to Shannon Hanley. So last year she played in the Women’s Trans National Senior Four-Ball, then qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and made match play. And this year in Colorado, she’s taken it up a notch, finishing second in the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play and winning on Tuesday.

So how has it been playing in these events after so long — and winning?

“It’s really exciting,” Franklin said. “The thing I enjoy most is meeting some of the ladies out here. They’re so nice and a real treat to play with.

“I drive up in the morning and am like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ because I get the nerves. But I think the more I practice and the more I work on my mental game, I hope it’ll be a better drive up to each of the tournaments. I think I’d like to keep competing.”

But while that’s the case, Franklin also will be on the golf course trying to help build the games of teenagers. Her brother, Eric Hoos, a former University of Denver men’s golf head coach who once won an event on the Web.com Tour, has taken on head coaching duties at Prospect Ridge Academy, where Walker Franklin plays. And with Eric on board, Kristine has committed to be an assistant coach, a role in which she’s currently enmeshed.

Franklin, who played professionally in Japan for about seven years, joined Jill Gaschler (2015) as the only players who have beaten Eaton in a CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play. The last time Greeley Country Club had hosted the event, in 2012, Eaton won by 16 shots. But that year, Eaton shot just one stroke better over 36 holes than her total this week (148).

Eaton (left), a four-time quarterfinalist in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, is seeking her 26th career CGA/CWGA championship, which would give her sole possession of the record she now shares with fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Carol Flenniken. Eaton said her next opportunity for No. 26 won’t come until next year.

Asked if falling short on Tuesday was more painful, given it was at her old home course, Eaton said, “It’s more painful in that I feel like I have a target on my back and everybody is out to get me (as the favorite). I just want to win it so I can get it over with.

“I was a little nervous on the back nine just because I wanted to get it over with and not have to worry about it anymore.”

Finishing third behind Franklin and Eaton on Tuesday was 2018 CGA Women’s Senior Match Play champion Tiffany Maurycy (below) of Cherry Creek Country Club, who closed with a 75 for a 153 total.

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Country Club placed fourth at 154 after a second-round rally was derailed by a triple-bogey at the 11th hole en route to a 75. Coincidentally, Moore and Franklin were college teammates at the University of Arizona.

Audrey McEwen of Coal Creek Golf Course, who won the seventh-flight gross competition, had one of the highights of the tournament as she made a hole-in-one — the first of her life — on the 117-yard second hole on Tuesday.

For all the scores from the championship flight, as well as from the other seven flights at the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play, CLICK HERE.

CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play Winners

Championship Flight
Gross: Kristine Franklin, Colorado National GC 74-74–148

First Flight
Gross: Jennifer Hocking, Cherokee Ridge GC 80-80–160
Net: Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock GC 73-74–147

Second Flight
Gross: Lynda McManus, Highland Hills GC 78-83–161
Net: Sheila Schroeder, Broken Tee GC 72-75–147

Third Flight
Gross: Laura Wetzel, Coal Creek GC 82-85–167
Net: Audrey Bopp, Ptarmigan CC 72-72–144

Fourth Flight
Gross: Darlene Evans, West Woods GC 90-84–174
Net: Berta Thimmig, Riverdale 70-72–142 and Candy Hammerich, Rifle Creek GC 77-65–142

Fifth Flight
Gross: Insook Bhushan, Meadow Hills GC 93-91–184
Net: Judy Maillis, Broken Tee GC 80-70–150

Sixth Flight
Gross: Sandra Schnitzer 86-101–187
Net: Margaret Brubaker, Riverdale 73-69–142

Seventh Flight
Gross: Audrey McEwen, Coal Creek GC 95-96–191
Net: Susie Goldberg, Overland Park GC 79-69–148 

The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, competing at the course where she grew up, finds herself in second place at the halfway point of the event.

Ahead of her on the championship flight leaderboard is Kristine Franklin of Colorado National Golf Club, who shot a 2-over-par 74 in Monday’s first round. Franklin, a former pro and the 1986 CWGA Stroke Play champion, made 16 pars and two bogeys in round 1. Like Eaton, Franklin (left) made match play at last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. And Franklin finished runner-up earlier this summer at the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play.

Eaton, who is tied with Carol Flenniken for most career victories in CGA women’s/CWGA events (25), posted a 16-shot victory the last time the Senior Stroke Play was held at Greeley CC, in 2012. But the scoreboard is much more tightly packed this time around.

On Monday, Eaton carded three birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey of her 75. The 59-year-old has previously won the Senior Stroke Play in 2009, ’10, ’12, ’13 and ’17. A sixth title in this event would tie the Senior Stroke Play record set by Lynn Larson in 2001.

Cindy Snow of The Pinery Country Club sits in third place after a 77. And three players share fourth place at 78 — Tiffany Maurycy of Cherry Creek Country Club, winner of the 2018 CGA Women’s Senior Match Play; Kathy West of Castle Pines Golf Club; and Louise Lyle of Eisenhower Golf Club.

And Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Country Club opened with a 79 and is in seventh place.

The 36-hole championship will conclude with Tuesday’s round.

For all the scores from the championship flight, as well as from the other seven flights at the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play, CLICK HERE.
 

Competing at a course she estimated at the time that she’s played more than 1,000 times, Eaton lapped the field in her old hometown of Greeley, prevailing by 16 strokes in a 36-hole event six years ago.

We bring that up now because the Women’s Senior Stroke Play will return to Greeley CC next week — specifically Monday and Tuesday. And Eaton (left) — a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who has now won the championship five times, including last year — will be in the field looking for a shot at history.

Should she prevail at her old home club, it would be the 26th CGA/CWGA title of her career, which would break the record she currently shares with another Hall of Famer, Carol Flenniken.

Eaton, who recently turned 59 and is now a full-time resident of Arizona, 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 championship in Colorado.

While Eaton may know the Greeley Country Club course better than anyone in the 104-player Senior Stroke Play field — 14 golfers are in the championship flight — there’s no lack of competitors capable of winning the title next week.

Another Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, Janet Moore of Cherry Hills, teamed up with Eaton to win this year’s CGA Women’s Brassie, which marked her 21st CGA/CWGA win, putting her in the mix for the all-time record when all is eventually said and done. Moore competed this summer in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

Also scheduled to be in the field in Greeley are 2016 champion Deb Hughes of Green Valley Ranch, 2018 CGA Women’s Senior Match Play winner Tiffany Maurycy of Cherry Creek, and two players who advanced to match play at the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (along with Eaton), Kristine Franklin of Colorado National and Susan Hartwell of Hyland Hills.

The championship flight is one of eight flights that will produce a winner next week in Greeley. For Monday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.