But put them in team tournaments, and they’re particularly a force with which to be reckoned.

On Sunday, the pair teamed up to win their second CWGA Chapman Championship in the last three years. Combined, Austin and Steenrod have now captured titles in at least 23 CWGA team events over the years — whether it be in the Chapman, Brassie, Mashie, Club Team or the now-defunct CWGA/CGA Mixed.

The two have had several different partners for their many CWGA team victories over the years, but it’s only in the Chapman that they’ve paired together to win. They prevailed by a whopping 20 shots two years ago, and after Austin didn’t play last year, the two added to their trophy collections Sunday at Haymaker Golf Course in Steamboat Springs. (Pictured above, Steenrod is in yellow and Austin in pink.)

This time, though, was a lot — A LOT — closer than in 2013. In this year’s competition, Austin and Steenrod edged first-round co-leaders Deb Hughes and Sue Davis by one and the other first-day co-leaders, Liz Kennedy and Sally Lawrence, by three.

Austin and Steenrod shot an even-par 71 on Sunday — improving on their first-round total by a whopping eight strokes — en route to a 36-hole tally of 8-over-par 150. Hughes and Davis were left runners-up in the championship flight for the second consecutive year despite a 73 on Sunday, which gave them a 151 total. They made three birdies on the day, but a double-bogey 7 on the ninth hole hurt their cause. And in an event in which every championship flight team improved its score from round 1 to round 2, Kennedy and Lawrence used an eagle and a birdie to post a Sunday 75 to check in at 153.

The format for the Chapman calls for both players from a team to tee off, play their partner’s ball for the second shot, then select which ball to play alternately into the hole from there.

Austin and Steenrod made three birdies on Sunday — including one after driving the green on the 221-yard, par-4 eighth hole and two-putting — but better play down the stretch and improved putting helped them knock eight shots off their first-day total.

“Both Laurie and I talked about what happened yesterday. We both sort of lost our focus (at the end),” said Austin, a three-time CWGA senior champion who was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame earlier this year. “We bogeyed four of the last five holes yesterday. When we got to that stretch today, we were 2 under to that point. And we were like, ‘We are not going to lose our focus.’ There are some very difficult holes coming down the stretch. We played really well (today on that stretch). We bogeyed a couple of the holes, but we were proud of the fact that we were still hitting quality shots.”

And the flatsticks were a lot more friendly on Sunday than on Saturday for the pair.

“The big improvement was putting,” said Steenrod, winner of the 1995 CWGA Match Play and the 2011 Senior Match Play. “We (eliminated) the three-putts and we ran in two long ones. That was a big difference. There’s no question we missed greens today, but we got up and down.”

That includes on the last hole, which made the difference between a victory in regulation and going to a playoff with Hughes and Davis.

“We could have easily been under par had a few more little putts fallen,” Austin said. “I think we were very, very happy with the way we played. Our short games were good, chipping was good, putting was good. All in all, the quality of our golf was better.”

For scores from all six flights of the Chapman, CLICK HERE.
 

Not even four strokes worth of penalties assessed during the first round were enough to keep Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster and Jaclyn Murray of Grand Junction from cruising to victory Sunday in the CWGA Chapman Championship.

The two high schoolers prevailed by six strokes in the 36-hole team event at Keystone Ranch Golf Course. And they did it despite drawing the four penalty strokes on Saturday for substituting balls once one common ball was picked for the team in the Chapman format.

In the Chapman, each competitor tees off on each hole, then plays her partner’s ball for the second shot. After that the partners select the ball with which they will score, and they play that ball alternately into the hole. Once that common ball is chosen, balls shouldn’t be substituted depending on the player — something Kupcho and Murray, as well as runners-up Deb Hughes and Sue Davis, didn’t initially understand.

Those two teams subsequently drew two two-stroke penalties on their first holes in which the breach occurred, up to a maximum of four shots total per round. That’s similar to the penalty for carrying too many clubs.

With that situation behind them on Sunday — when they started with a four-stroke lead — Kupcho and Murray recorded the only sub-par score of the tournament, a 1-under-par 70, to post a 4-over-par 146 total for the two-day event. (The winners are pictured above, with Murray at left.) That was six strokes better than 2014 CWGA Senior Match Play champion Hughes, of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, and teammate Davis, of Saddle Rock Golf Course. Hughes and Davis made five birdies in their round of 72 on Sunday.

“It was a great experience to have,” said Murray (left), who won her first CWGA championship. “And it’s special to share it with Jennifer.”

Claiming third place in the championship flight, 17 shots behind Kupcho and Murray, were Ron Irons and Pat Wenger of Eisenhower Golf Club, who closed with an 83.

With their penalties, and three additional early bogeys, Kupcho and Murray were 7 over par through seven holes on Saturday. But they settled down and played their final 29 holes of the tournament in 3 under. On Sunday, they made three birdies and two bogeys.

The Chapman marked the third CWGA championship of 2014 for Kupcho (below), a 17-year-old senior from Jefferson Academy. The Wake Forest recruit earlier won the CWGA Match Play and the Junior Stroke Play. She’s also claimed the title in the 4A state high school meet and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.

“It’s really exciting to get another state championship,” she said. “It’s been a great summer, a great year. It’s nice to see all the hard work pay off.”

So how did Kupcho and Murray join forces for the Chapman?

Both qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship this year, but more notably, they were both on the CWGA’s Girls Junior America’s Cup team that competed in Walla Walla, Wash., in late July. And when both expressed an interest in playing in the Chapman, they simply teamed up.

Murray lives in Grand Junction during the summer, but stays in the Denver metro area with her mother during the school year, attending Regis Jesuit High School. As a freshman, Murray helped Regis win the 5A state high school team title in May.

Murray is now 15 years old, while Kupcho is 17.

In all, 50 teams divided into six flights competed in the CWGA Chapman.

For Chapman scores, CLICK HERE.

Such was the case Sunday for Christie Austin of Cherry Hills Country Club and Laurie Steenrod of Saddle Rock Golf Course, who ran away with the title in the CWGA Chapman Championship at Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks in Silverthorne. (The winners are pictured, with Steenrod at left.)

Austin and Steenrod weren’t positive — off the top of their heads — of their CWGA career victory totals. And even though a perusal of association records doesn’t provide definitive numbers, it gives a general idea where they stand.

Between them, Austin and Steenrod have won at least 20 CWGA titles. And though both have impressive individual victories to their credit — the 1995 Match Play and 2011 Senior Match Play for Steenrod, and the 2007 Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play for Austin — more than three-quarters of the win total has come in team events.

In both of their cases, however, Austin and Steenrod had never prevailed in a Chapman until Sunday. In fact, to the best of their knowledge, they hadn’t even competed in the event until this weekend.

“I thought it was delightful,” Steenrod said. “I had never won a Chapman. It was a lovely treat.”

Indeed, it was a nice leisurely outing for the two as they cruised to a 20-stroke victory in the championship flight. They posted rounds of 76-79 for a 9-over-par 155 total. Next best were Ron Irons and Pat Wenger of Eisenhower Golf Club, who went 91-84.

The Chapman features a two-person team format in which both players tee off, they hit one another’s balls for the second shot, then they pick one ball to play — alternately — into the hole.

The only thing that wasn’t such a joy over the weekend was the weather on Sunday, which was dicey in the mountains on the autumnal equinox.

Asked how cold it was Sunday, Austin said, “four layers’ worth. It’s cold and it’s rainy and it’s windy. The conditions were tougher today.”

Perhaps that — and their huge lead — had something to do with the triple bogey they posted on No. 13 Sunday. But all told for the two days, they racked up six birdies, including three on par-3s.

Especially given what’s happened in previous team events this year, Austin was happy to emerge with the trophy this time around. In both of the CWGA’s major four-ball events of 2013 — the Mashie and the Brassie — Austin and her partner placed second to University of Wyoming teammates Samantha Stancato and Kathleen Kershisnik.

“After finishing runner-up twice this summer in the four-ball, it was great to win one,” said Austin, a former USGA Executive Committee member.
 

CWGA Chapman Championship
At Raven GC at Three Peaks in Silverthorne

GROSS SCORES
Championship Flight
AUSTIN/ STREENROD — 76-79–155
IRONS/ WENGER — 91-84–175
COHEN/ STRINGER — 91-89–180
ALTER-CUDLIP/ BUCHANAN –95-90–185
CHASE/ WELLS — 94-92–186
HICKEY/ JONES — 98-95–193
             
First Flight
HORNER/TAFURI–88-75–163
QUEEN/ SCHRIEFER — 83-86–169
GOULD/ LANGE — 86-85–171
GOSCHE/ KEITH — 89-83–172
BUTTRICK/ CARTER — 90-94–184
DUNSTON/ NEISTAT — 100-84–184
GALLEGOS/GEITNER–93-92–185
GARCIA/WARD — 99-WD

Second Flight
CHILDS/ LOWE –89-89–178
LINDSEY/ THIMMING –85-94–179
DECKER/ ROCK — 96-89–185
JANIS/ ZAINHOFSKY — 95-98–193
BEGLER/ LAUX — 95-99-194
MINER/ PUCKETT — 102-93–195
FINN/ WIRTH — 103-100–203

Third Flight
BRIDSTON/ SABEY — 91-93–184
DWYER/ WHITE — 95-92–187
O’ BRIEN/ ORTEGA –96-97–193
HICKS/ RASO — 95-100–195
ADKINSON/ VAN CLEAVE — 100-95–195
PATTERSON/ WEBER — 101-96–197
EDELEN/ FINGER — 106-103–209
GODFREY/ WORKMAN — 101- WD

Fourth Flight
ARBUCKLE/ CAHILL — 95-92–187
CHOI/ QUON — 92-100–192
MCPHERRON/ WARREN — 91-101-192
CHRISTIANO/ DEPINTO — 97-102–199
BILOTTA/ THOMAS — 102-98–200
GOTTULA/ GREEN — 102-98–200
MILLER/ STORLIE — 104-99–203
JOHNSON/ SCHMIDT — 110-104–114

Fifth Flight
ROJAS/ TURNER — 89-93–182
BLACK/ DAIGLE — 98-87–185
GARRETT/ NALLS — 91-95–186
LOGAN/ TIDD — 94-97–191
AMBROSE/ SCHNITZER — 104-93–197
CURLEY/ LECHTENBERG — 103-100–203
BERGAMO/ SCHUTZ — 105-99–204
RENNER/ WHITE — 107-103–210
DEINES/ ELLIOTT — 109-WD

Sixth Flight
CARDER/ THOMPSON — 99-97–196
PAYNTER/ ROSSER — 101-97–198
DOSS/ RISMANCHI — 96-104–200
GOLDBERG/ HALL — 101-99-200
KOZIEL/ ZALONE — 109-95–204
ESSIG/ MCDOWELL — 100-107–207
ALLISON/ MAGAZINER — 108-WD
HART/ IRWIN — 111-WD

NET SCORES
Championship Flight
AUSTIN/ STREENROD — 72-75–147
IRONS/ WENGER — 81-74–155
COHEN/ STRINGER — 80-78–158
CHASE/ WELLS — 81-79–160
ALTER-CUDLIP/ BUCHANAN — 88-81–167
HICKEY/ JONES — 85-82–167

First Flight
HORNER/ TAFURI — 74-61–135
QUEEN/ SCHRIEFER — 69-72–141
GOULD/ LANGE — 72-71–143
GOSCHE/ KEITH — 75-69–144
BUTTRICK/ CARTER — 75-79–154
DUNSTON/ NEISTAT — 86-70–156
GALLEGOS/ GEITNER — 79-78–157
GARCIA/WARD — 84-WD

Second Flight
CHILDS/ LOWE — 73-73–146
LINDSEY/ THIMMING — 68-77–145
DECKER/ ROCK — 80-73–153
JANIS/ ZAINHOFSKY — 79-82–161
BEGLER/ LAUX — 78-82–160
MINER/ PUCKETT — 85-76–161
FINN/ WIRTH — 86-83–169
   
Third Flight
BRIDSTON/ SABEY — 73-75—148
DWYER/ WHITE — 76-73–149
O’ BRIEN/ ORTEGA — 77-78–155
HICKS/ RASO — 77–82–159
ADKINSON/ VAN CLEAVE — 82-77–159
PATTERSON/ WEBER — 82-77–159
EDELEN/ FINGER — 88-85–173
GODFREY/ WORKMAN –82-WD

Fourth Flight
ARBUCKLE/ CAHILL — 74-71–145
MCPHERRON/ WARREN — 70-80–150
CHOI/ QUON — 72-80–152
CHRISTIANO/ DEPINTO — 77-82–159
GOTTULA/ GREEN — 81-77–158
BILOTTA/ THOMAS — 82-78–160
MILLER/ STORLIE — 84-79–163
JOHNSON/ SCHMIDT — 89-83–172
               
Fifth Flight
ROJAS/ TURNER — 68-72–140
BLACK/ DAIGLE — 76-65–141
LOGAN/ TIDD — 70-73–143
GARRETT/ NALLS — 70-74–144
AMBROSE/ SCHNITZER — 81-70–151
BERGAMO/ SCHUTZ — 81-75–156
CURLEY/ LECHTENBERG — 81-78–159
RENNER/ WHITE — 83-79–162
DEINES/ ELLIOTT — 87-WD
 
Sixth Flight
DOSS/ RISMANCHI — 65-73–138
PAYNTER/ ROSSER — 77-70–144
CARDER/ THOMPSON — 74-72–146
KOZIEL/ ZALONE — 80-66–146
GOLDBERG/ HALL — 76-74–150
ESSIG/ MCDOWELL — 72-79–151
ALLISON/ MAGAZINER — 79-WD
HART/ IRWIN — 80-WD