Particularly when it comes to the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

In the last 11 years when the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer has attempted to qualify for those three USGA events, she’s never failed.

Taking it a step further, she’s been medalist about as often as not in qualifying tournaments for those championships over that time.

On Wednesday at a U.S. Women’s Mid-Am qualifier at Grand Elk Golf Club in Granby, Moore fell a little short of medalist honors, but she easily earned a spot in the national championship, set for Sept. 22-27 at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis.

“I enjoy playing in the qualifiers,” said the 54-year-old, who won five CWGA Stroke Play titles in the 1990s. “The numbers are good (in terms of qualifiers vs. the size of the fields) — and today the numbers were really good — so I thought I just needed to go out there and play a solid round. I was pleased that that happened.”

A total of seven players out of the field of 22 contestants advanced, including three Coloradans: Moore, a resident of Centennial (4-over-par 75); Marilyn Hardy, who splits her time between Gunnison and the Houston area (77); and Staci Creech of Englewood (78). Hardy, wife of renowned golf instructor Jim Hardy, once made it as far as the semifinals in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, which is limited to players 25 and older.

Joining them in qualifying at Grand Elk were co-medalists Kay Daniel of Covington, La., and Sue Billek Nyhus of Orem, Utah, who carded 2-over-par 73s; and Annette Gaiotti of Park City, Utah, and Jennifer Delgadillo of Horizon City, Texas, who posted 77s.

(The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Hardy, Gaiotti, Delgadillo, Creech, Daniel, Nyhus and Moore.)

Nyhus, the current women’s golf head coach at Utah Valley University and former coach at Brigham Young University, shot her 73 despite bogeying her last three holes. Daniel, who went to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am in 2015 and has made match play at the event for eight of the last nine years, made one birdie and three bogeys on Wednesday.

As for Moore, she earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur for the 11th consecutive year — though she didn’t end up competing in 2013 — and 16th time overall. It’ll be her 27th USGA championship as earlier this year she competed in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

“It’s always special to go to USGA events — always,” she said. “It’s an honor to go, but for me I have a little higher goals than just qualifying. Lately, I haven’t been doing as well (at the national championships). Hopefully I can do well once I’m there (for this event). For sure my goal is to make it to match play and maybe win one or two matches. I would feel that’s a real successful tournament for me.”

At Grand Elk, Moore was 4 over par through seven holes, but played her final 11 in even par. Her husband Kent, also a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, caddied for her on Wednesday.

“He drove all the way up to caddie for me, which was nice,” she said. “It worked out real well. I always play better when he’s on the bag.”

Coincidentally, the last time Janet Moore had played Grand Elk before this week, she and Kent shared the title with two other couples in the now-defunct CGA/CWGA Mixed Team Championship more than a quarter-century ago.
 

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifying
At Par-71 Grand Elk GC in Granby
ADVANCE TO U.S. WOMEN’S MID-AM
Kay Daniel, Covington, La. 73
Sue Billek Nyhus, Orem, Utah 73
Janet Moore, Centennial 75
Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison 77
Annette Gaiotti, Park City, Utah 77
Jennifer Delgadillo, Horizon City, Texas 77
Staci Creech, Englewood 78
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Amy Ricci, Edwards 79
Alicia Bakken, Westminster 79

For all the scores from Wednesday, CLICK HERE.
 

A qualifying tournament for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur on Monday at Cherry Hills Country Club proved restorative for more than one player in the field.

For instance, former Greeley resident and University of Denver golfer Kelly Schaub demonstrated she still has some golf mojo despite the fact that she hadn’t played a competitive round of golf in a non-team event in almost four years. The three-time CWGA Player of the Year, who now lives in Scottdale, Ariz., not only qualified for the Mid-Am, but finished fourth in the 36-player tournament with a 6-over-par 78.

The qualifying field was “very competitive, so I’m very surprised,” said Schaub, who estimates she’s played a total of just 20 rounds of golf over the last four years since getting into the real-estate business.

Then there’s Kay Daniel (pictured) of Covington, La., who came within a stroke of her all-time best tournament score Monday despite not having played any golf at altitude until last week.

“This is one of my better (competitive rounds),” the 42-year-old orthodontist said. “I’ve been playing really good this summer, better than I have in the last 10 years. There haven’t been many years I’d step out on a golf course and expect to shoot par or under, and I really feel like I can do that now. It’s a confidence thing.”

Daniel earned medalist honors Monday with a 2-under-par 70, which was five strokes better than the nearest competition. She was joined at Cherry Hills by 10 other qualifiers for the Mid-Am, which is scheduled for Oct. 5-10 in Asheville, N.C.

Also advancing were Stacey Arnold of Westminster (75), Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Village (77), Schaub (78), Shannon Lutynski of Lakewood (79), Linda Jeffery of Abilene, Texas (79), Maren Scoggins of Nashville, Tenn. (80), Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho (83), Krista Morgan of Breckenridge (84), Samantha Bartron of Boulder (84), and Meg Christensen of Houston (85).

Markle and Christensen also qualified in Colorado last year for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.

All of the top finishers Monday are veterans of USGA championships, having competed in an estimated 10 or more.

Moore, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, has made it to the round of 32 at the Mid-Am each of the last two years. And given that Monday’s qualifying tournament was held at her home course, it was no surprise that she easily punched her ticket to the national tournament for players 25 and older.

Moore, 49, made a special trip back to Colorado to compete in the qualifier as she coaches the women’s golf team at Wheaton College in Illinois, and the squad had already begun practice and qualifiers for the upcoming season.

In fact, because of a scheduling conflict with the Mid-Am and her team’s conference championship, Moore isn’t sure she’ll compete in the USGA event.

“I’m going to see how our team does this year, and if our team is doing really well and has a chance to win conference, I might make a decision before then not to go to the Mid-Am,” Moore said. “It’s my daughter (Sarah’s) senior year, so I’d like to be there if I could. If we’re not playing as well, then I might try to slip out Friday night (Oct. 4 before the final round of the conference meet) and play Saturday (Oct. 5 in the Mid-Am).”

If Moore does end up playing in North Carolina, she’s proven in the last couple of years that she can make a little noise.

“I’d like to do well,” she said. “I always look forward to the Mid-Am and I always like to do well in it. Someday I’d like to do really well.”

On Monday, Moore recorded three birdies at Cherry Hills — where she and husband Kent have been members for more than two decades — en route to her 77.

“To play your home course, I think you’re a lot more relaxed,” she said. “It’s just an advantage that way.”

While Daniel, a former Louisiana women’s amateur champion, set the standard Monday, Arnold was the low Coloradan with her 75.

“I haven’t been playing very much, so it was a good round for me for sure,” said Arnold, who estimates she’s made match play in USGA championships all but once or twice on her national trips.

The 44-year-old Arnold played college golf at the University of Iowa, was the Women’s Big Ten Golfer of the Year in 1991 and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Arnold said this will be her fourth U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Schaub, a 33-year-old former golf professional, estimates she’s competed in more than 15 USGA championships, including the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open. There have also been a U.S. Girls’ Junior, along with multiple U.S. Publinks, USGA State Teams, U.S. Women’s Amateurs and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs.

But it took some urging from her mom to get her to try to qualify on Monday.

“I was sitting at home and she said, ‘I think you should play,'” Schaub recalled. “I’m like, ‘Really?’ She said, ‘It’s time for you to play. I would like to see you play and get back and caddie. That was the main reason — she wanted to caddie because we used to be the duo together. So I signed up and she caddied.”

Monday’s round started out a little choppy as Schaub shot a 7-over-par 42 on the first nine. But she played the back in 1 under to easily qualify.

“I was nervous going in, then kind of got in a groove,” she said. “And I was nervous again at the end. But being back in the competitive spirit is fun. It took me four years to get back here, but now I’m ready to keep on going.”

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Cherry Hills CC in Cherry Hills Village

QUALIFIED
Kay Daniel, Covington, La. 34-36–70

Stacey Arnold, Westminster, Colo. 36-39–75
Janet Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 39-38–77
Kelly Schaub, Greeley, Colo. 42-36–78
Shannon Lutynski, Lakewood, Colo. 40-39–79
Linda Jeffery, Abilene, Texas 37-42–79
Maren Scoggins, Nashville, Tenn. 41-39–80
Kareen Markle, Meridian, Idaho 42-41–83
Krista Morgan, Breckenridge, Colo. 42-42–84
Samantha Bartron, Boulder, Colo. 38-46–84
Meg Christensen, Houston, Texas 44-41–85

ALTERNATES (In order)
Christie Austin, Cherry Hills Village, Colo- 42-44-86
Suzanne Smith, Breckenridge, Colo. 40-46–86

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Carly McNaughton, Canada 42-44–86
Karen Hale, Boynton Beach, Fla. 42-45–87
Cindy Pallatino, Scottsdale, Ariz. 46-42–88
Laurie Steenrod, Aurora, Colo. 45-44–89
Debbie Blount, Atlanta, Ga. 44-45–89
Jill Gaschler, Denver, Colo. 45-45–90
Janet Yoder, Elbert, Colo. 42-48–90
Holly Schmitt, Centennial, Colo. 45-45–90
Rochelle Brotsky, Windsor, Colo. 44-46–90
Sheila Schroeder, Englewood, Colo. 44-47–91
Beverly Hoffenberg, Pueblo, Colo. 46-46–92
Lisa Stone, Aurora, Colo. 42-51–93
Lori Lawrence, Englewood, Colo. 46-48–94
Catherine Stypula, Boulder, Colo. 45-51–96
Vickie Brown, Aurora, Colo. 48-48–96
Katty Rothberg, Denver, Colo. 47-49–96
Ampi Diaz, Mexico 45-51–96
Tricia Manley, Denver, Colo. 47-49–96
Sheryl Larsen, Denver, Colo. 47-50–97
Blair Fraser, Bouler, Colo. 48-49–97
Patty Smogor, Centennial, Colo. 49-50–99
Sally Lawrence, Englewood, Colo. 47-52–99
Tonya Hardman, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 45-54–99