The players from Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy, who had never competed together as a two-person team, rallied from a four-stroke deficit going into Sunday’s final round to win the 12th annual CGA Women’s Dunham Chapman Championship at the River Course at Keystone.
“It’s amazing,” Young said. “I’ve won a few smaller things, but not a state event. … I’m ready to pass out.”
Added Lyle: “It’s surprising really, but it feels great. I think we were both very surprised to win.
“I haven’t played in tournaments with Sandra before, but we’re on the same golf team for our club. This was the first one that I said, ‘Hey, do you want to play?’ We weren’t even sure we could play together. It worked out pretty well.”
In fact, Lyle and Young had overtaken first-round leaders Denise Cohen of Kissing Camels and Ron Irons of Eisenhower after just nine holes on Sunday, though the title hung in the balance until the end.
Lyle and Young finished with a 4-over-par 75 in round 2 in the Chapman stroke play format in which each golfer hits a tee shot, then plays her partner’s ball for the second shot. After that, a scoring ball is chosen, and that ball is played alternately into the hole. (The champions are pictured, with Young at left and Lyle at right, flanking Marty Hall, partner of tournament namesake Jo Ann Dunham.)
They finished with a two-day total of 11-over-par 153, one stroke better than Cohen and Irons, whose downfall was a triple bogey on the 16th hole en route to an 80 on Sunday.
Ending up third was Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and two-time Dunham Chapman champion Christie Austin of Cherry Hills and partner Kathy West of Castle Pines, who checked in at 157.
Cohen and Irons had regained the lead on the back nine Sunday, but a 40-foot birdie by Lyle on the par-3 15th evened things up. “That made a big difference. It was pivotal,” Young said of Lyle’s long birdie. And the two went up for good on No. 16 when they made bogey and Cohen and Irons their triple.
“I had never played this event before, but we thought we might be a good fit,” said Young, 58. “(Lyle) hits a very long ball and the short game is my area. It’s great when your partner can put you 100 yards out so maybe I can score. It was a good combination.”
Lyle, a 52-year-old who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years in the Air Force, credits Young for draining not-so-simple par putts throughout the round that kept their rally going.
“I’ve played in a few (CGA/CWGA championships), but normally I don’t do very well,” Lyle said. “I play much better with a partner who can keep my head in the game. Sandy did a great job of doing that because I’m a little bit crazy.
“This is my first state-level (title) in my life. This was basically my last golfing of the season and so it’s a pretty good way to go out.”
Lyle has been competing seriously in golf for just the last few years, and Young didn’t take up the game at all until she was 38.
“I had thought golf was a stupid sport,” Young said. “One of my husband’s friends wanted his wife to take lessons, so just to get her to quit bugging me, I said, ‘OK, I’ll take lessons with you.’ I fell in love immediately.”
She’s gone on to win a worldwide tournament for military spouses and dependents in 2010, and she’s qualified for at least four USGA championships — a Women’s Publinks, Mid-Am and a couple of Senior Ams.
The championship flight was one of eight flights of competition at the Dunham Chapman. Among the other winners on Sunday was CGA co-president Juliet Miner of Bear Dance, who teamed with Peggy Puckett of Wellshire to prevail in the second flight.
The Dunham Chapman was renamed prior to the 2017 championship as a tribute to Jo Ann Dunham, a longtime CWGA volunteer whose brainchild was the Chapman, which was first contested in 2007. Dunham passed away on Sept. 28, 2016, just shy of her 77th birthday.
For the gross and net scores for all eight flights competing in the 64-team Dunham Chapman Championship, CLICK HERE.
Here are the gross and net champions in the various flights:
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Gross: Louise Lyle/Sandra Young, Eisenhower GC 78-75–153
Net: Denise Cohen, Kissing Camels/Ron Irons, Eisenhower GC 66-72–138
FIRST FLIGHT
Gross: Debi Kline/Margaret Breakey, Kissing Camels 77-76–153
Net: Betty Bullington, CC of Colorado/Valerie Hunter, Eisenhower GC 73-70–143
SECOND FLIGHT
Gross: Juliet Miner, Bear Dance/Peggy Puckett, Wellshire 82-83–165
Net: Juliet Miner, Bear Dance/Peggy Puckett, Wellshire 67-68–135
THIRD FLIGHT
Gross: Karen Leuschel, Riverdale/Connie Brodt, Fox Hill 80-86–166
Net: Karen Leuschel, Riverdale/Connie Brodt, Fox Hill 63-69–132
FOURTH FLIGHT
Gross: Val Talus, Colorado Springs CC/Mary Watt, Club at Flying Horse 78-88–166
Net: Val Talus, Colorado Springs CC/Mary Watt, Club at Flying Horse 60-70–130
FIFTH FLIGHT
Gross: Barbara Ingledue/Connie Garcia, Fox Hill 84-88–172
Net: Barbara Ingledue/Connie Garcia, Fox Hill 64-68–132
SIXTH FLIGHT
Gross: (tie) Jill Nickerson/Lynn Larson 91-87–178; Tammy Tinsley/Sandra Miller, Blackstone/Black Bear 93-85–178
Net: Linda Masters/Bonnie Brewer, Blackstone/Black Bear 68-65–133
SEVENTH FLIGHT
Gross: Laura Fischer, Willis Case/Cher Tufly 99-89–188
Net: Margie Doss, Aurora Hills/Rose Rismanchi, Meadow Hills 69-66–135
Last year at the CGA Women’s Dunham Chapman Championship, the team of Denise Cohen of Kissing Camels and Ron Irons of Eisenhower Golf Club shot a first-round 83 en route to a third-place finish at Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks.
On Saturday in the same event — but at the River Course at Keystone Ranch — Cohen and Irons posted a gross score nine strokes better to grab a four-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the 12th Dunham Chapman.
The pair played their final five holes in 2 under par on Saturday and finished the day with four birdies and seven bogeys.
The Chapman Stroke Play format calls for two-person teams, with each golfer hitting tee shots, then playing her partner’s ball for the second shot. After that, a scoring ball is chosen, and that ball is played alternately into the hole.
Two teams share second place at 78 in the gross competition heading into Sunday’s final round: former CGA Match Play champion Laurie Steenrod of Saddle Rock Golf Course and partner Bev Hoffenberg of Columbine Country Club, and Sandra Young and Louise Lyle of Eisenhower Golf Club. Steenrod has twice won the Dunham Chapman with current Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin, who with Kathy West holds fourth place at 79 after Saturday.
The Dunham Chapman was renamed prior to the 2017 championship as a tribute to Jo Ann Dunham, a longtime CWGA volunteer whose brainchild was the Chapman, which was first contested in 2007. Dunham passed away on Sept. 28, 2016, just shy of her 77th birthday.
For the gross and net scores for all eight flights competing in the 64-team Dunham Chapman Championship, CLICK HERE.
]]>The teams of Kim Gould and Meagan Arvidson, and Louise Lyle and Candace Meyers matched 6-over-par 78s on Saturday and share the lead in the championship flight going into the final round. Lyle and Meyers carded three birdies on Saturday, and Arvidson and Gould two.
Also posting a gross score total in the 70s on Saturday were recent U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur competitor Kathy Malpass and partner Bev Hoffenberg, who recorded a 79.
Next best in the gross competition are 2016 CWGA Senior Stroke Play champion Deb Hughes and Kelly Martin, who shot an 81.
Two teams broke par in the championship flight net competition: Gould and Arvidson (66) and Lyle/Meyers (70).
The Chapman format calls for two-person teams, with each golfer hitting tee shots, then playing her partner’s ball for the second shot. After that, a scoring ball is chosen, and that ball is played alternately into the hole.
In all, 61 teams are competing in the championship in seven different flights. For results from all the flights, CLICK HERE.
Sunday will mark the final round of the 36-hole Dunham Chapman, which is being played after a one-year hiatus. The championship has been renamed to pay tribute to Jo Ann Dunham, a longtime CWGA volunteer whose came up with the idea for the Chapman. Dunham passed away last September.
A team from outside the Denver metro area had won the CWGA Club Team Championship just once — and never when the event was contested in the metro area — but a squad from Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs broke new ground in an emphatic way on Monday.
With many competitors getting into the spirit of the event by wearing color-coordinated outfits at Valley Country Club, the team in pink from Colorado Springs ruled the day.
Though none of its four team members had played in the event before, Patty Jewett caught on quickly in posting a nine-shot victory in the ABCD stroke play format in which the scores of four players of significantly varying abilities are added up for a gross aggregate team total. Patty Jewett’s final tally of 363 was just four strokes off the tournament record, set last year by South Suburban.
Patty Jewett’s winning foursome — out of a 32-team field — consisted of Louise Lyle, who shot a 10-over-par 82; Hilary Dussing (86); Lita Van Cleave (91) and Beth Lindquist (104). (Pictured above are the champions, from left: Lindquist, Dussing, Lyle and Van Cleave. At left are Van Cleave and Lyle holding the trophy.)
“It’s nice (to prevail) because the Denver clubs seem to win everything,” Lyle said. “It’s nice to be like the little club that could. Our club itself is going to be so ridiculously happy. That’s what makes me so excited about it.”
Added Van Cleave: “They’ll be screaming. It’ll be so much fun. I’m excited about it because we’re a public course down in Colorado Springs and we want to make our club proud. It’s just a joy to be allowed to be part of this team.”
Patty Jewett, which hosted the first CWGA championship 100 years ago last month, joined the 2012 squad from the Country Club of Colorado as the only Colorado Springs teams to have won this event. The Country Club of Colorado prevailed at its home club four years ago.
Hyland Hills, The Club at Rolling Hills and the team from Blackstone/Blake Bear shared second place Monday at 372, while host Valley CC was fifth at 373.
South Suburban, winner of this event the last two years, placed ninth at 380 in the last CWGA championship of 2016.
In tying for second place individually, Lyle chalked up a birdie and eight pars in very windy conditions, while Dussing made a birdie and six pars, Van Cleave six pars, and Lindquist two.
“Everybody had bad shots (and) everybody had a bad hole or two,” Van Cleave said. “But we all had some good holes too. On a few of the holes, we all had good holes together. The D player (Lindquist) was getting some pars. That helped everyone involved.”
When asked after the round what they had shot individually, neither Lyle nor Van Cleave knew right away.
“We were just trying to play as a team,” Lyle said. “Somebody would have a bad hole, but someone else would have a par, and it’s like, ‘OK, we’re good.’ We weren’t trying to keep track of numbers. We were just thinking middle of the pack is great. We really didn’t have any expectations coming in. We just wanted to have a good time, and it just ended up that we pulled it out.
“Hilary had a couple of crazy chips that went about 6 inches from the cup. We all had some really good shots. It wasn’t like one person.”
Van Cleave wasn’t even originally scheduled to be on the squad competing at the Club Team Championship, but when another competitor’s handicap went down too much to be a C player, Van Cleave received a call.
“They said, ‘Can you fill in for us?’ I said, ‘You bet, because I’ve wanted to do this for many years,'” Van Cleave recalled. “You have to be asked at our club. I felt very honored to have this opportunity to play.”
Individually on Monday, Nina Dulacki of Broken Tee shot the best score of the day overall, an 8-over-par 80. Lyle and former CWGA Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play champion Mary Doyen from Foothills tied for second place in the individual competition at 82.
CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par -72 Valley CC in Centennial
Patty Jewett 174-189–363
(Patty Jewett Team Members: Louise Lyle 38-44–82; Hilary Dussing 42-44–86; Lita Van Cleave 44-47–91; Beth Lindquist 50-54–104)
Blackstone/Black Bear 186-186–372
Hyland Hills 185-187–372
The Club at Rolling Hills 187-185–372
Valley CC 190-183–373
Spring Valley 194-180–374
Broken Tee 189-186–375
Glenmoor CC 189-190–379
South Suburban 194-186–380
Colorado Golf Club 188-194–382
Kissing Camels 193-190–383
Pinery CC 192-191–383
Wellshire 187-196–383
Fox Hollow 192-194–386
West Woods 200-187–387
The Meadows 189-200–389
Heritage Eagle Bend 198-193–391
Willis Case 197-194–391
Foothills 198-195–393
Lake Valley 198-195–393
Highlands Ranch 199-198–397
Overland Park 196-204–400
Pinehurst CC 209-191–400
Littleton 205-198–403
Red Hawk Ridge 204-199–403
Meadow Hills 210-194–404
The Ranch CC 208-199–407
Saddle Rock 204-208–412
Fitzsimons 203-219–422
Pradera 214-214–428
Raccoon Creek 220-213–433
Indian Peaks NC