Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, a four-time quarterfinalist in the national Senior Women’s Am, earned medalist honors in qualifying in Scottsdale, Ariz., by shooting a 72 on Tuesday. And Kathy West of Castle Pines Golf Club also landed a spot at that site, posting a 79.

The Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs will host the Colorado-based qualifier for the event on Monday after the tournament was moved from the nearby Broadmoor because of hail damage. In Colorado Springs, 29 golfers will be vying for the seven spots in the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, which is set for Oct. 6-11 at Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club in Vero Beach, Fla. That will mark the final USGA championship of 2018.

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial, who has qualfiied for every U.S. Senior Women’s Am for which she’s been eligible, will be in the field at the Country Club of Colorado. This year, she’s already competed in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, and she’s also qualified for the upcoming U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, which will be her 27th USGA championship.

Also scheduled to play on Monday are fellow 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Am competitors Kristine Franklin of Broomfield, Susan Hartwell of Arvada, Marilyn Hardy of Gunnison, Kathy Malpass of Evergreen, Sandra Bickel of La Porte and Lisa Lee of Longmont.

Hartwell, Eaton and Franklin made match play at last year’s national championship, with Eaton and Hartwell advancing to the round of 32. So far in 2018, Franklin has won the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play and fellow Monday competitor Tiffany Maurycy of Denver claimed the title in the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play.

For Monday’s tee times, 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.

That might be the collective feeling of every player who feels they might have a legitimate chance to win the CGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship … if Jennifer Kupcho isn’t in the field.

After all, the standout from Westminster won the 2015 CWGA Stroke Play (the former name for the CGA Women’s Stroke Play) by a whopping 21 shots, the 2016 championship by 19 shots, and last year’s tournament by “just” 13.

Do the math, and the average margin of victory for Kupcho in this event over the past three years was 17.7 strokes.

But Kupcho won’t be going for her fourth straight CGA Women’s Stroke Play title this week. Coming off winning the women’s NCAA Division I individual title and competing for the U.S. in its rout of Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup, Kupcho isn’t entered this year. Besides needing a break, she has jury duty this week.

So the list of players with a good chance to win goes from one to quite a few.

Black Bear Golf Club (pictured) in Parker will host the 71st annual CGA Women’s Stroke Play, with the 54-hole event running from Wednesday through Friday (June 20-22).

The championship flight for the event will feature the players with the top 12 scores after two rounds. Additional flights will include a dozen or more competitors each.

Among the college golfers entered who figure to be in the mix for the title are Texan Kennedy Swann (Clemson University), who finished 10th at the ACC Championship in April; Mary Weinstein (University of Denver), who placed second in this event in 2015 and fourth last year; 2016 runner-up Gillian Vance (University of Colorado); teammates Erin Sargent and Megan Knadler (Wyoming), who tied for second last year; Delaney Elliott (Montana State), who’s recorded two top-five finishes in the Stroke Play in the last three years; and Anna Kennedy (Brigham Young University), who’s posted top-10s each of the last two years.

Also among the 57 entrants is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore, a five-time winner of this event in the 1990s. Moore recently qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Also in the field is Susan Hartwell, who advanced to the round of 32 at last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

For Wednesday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.
 

Eaton, who last year advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, lost 2 and 1 on Tuesday in the round of 32 to fellow former University of New Mexico golfer Tara Fleming of Jersey City, N.J. And Hartwell, competing in just her second USGA championship, also saw her run end in the round of 32 as 2010 national champion Mina Hardin of Mexico defeated her 7 and 6.

(Eaton and Hartwell are pictured together, with Eaton at left.)

Eaton, winner last month of her fifth CWGA Senior Stroke Play title, was 2 up after three holes against Fleming, a former LPGA Tour player who competed in four U.S. Women’s Opens. Eaton was still 1 up through 10, but Fleming won the 11th hole with a par and the 15th with a bogey, then closed things out with a birdie on No. 17. After being even-par through nine holes, Eaton finished 4 over for the match.

A day after Hartwell won her first match 8 and 6 — tying the second-largest margin of victory in this event’s history — Hardin turned the tables. The former champion was 1 up through four, then won six of the next eight holes to win the match on the 12th green. Hardin birdied her last two holes and was even-par overall for the match. Hartwell finished 9 over par for 12 holes.

Here are the Senior Women’s Am results for all the players with strong Colorado ties:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Tara Fleming of Jersey City, N.J., def. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, 2 and 1
Mina Hardin of Mexico def. Susan Hartwell, Arvada, 7 and 6

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Pamela Kuong of Wellesley Hills, Mass., 4 and 2
Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas def. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield, 5 and 4
Susan Hartwell of Arvada def. Mimi Hoffman of Springfield, Va., 8 and 6

STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
17. Susan Hartwell of Arvada 78-77–155
25. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79-77–156
31. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield 75-83–158
Failed to Make Match Play
66. Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy 78-86–164
100. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87-84–171
104. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver 83-89–172
110. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 85-88–173
123. Sandra Bickel of La Porte 93-85–178
125. Lisa Lee of Longmont 90-90–180
130. Sue Davis of Aurora 99-95–194

For all the results from the Senior Women’s Am, CLICK HERE.

Susan Hartwell of Arvada, seeded 22nd in the 64-person match play bracket, cruised to an 8 and 6 victory over Mimi Hoffman of Springfield, Va. And Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (pictured), who’s made it to the final eight four times in this event, joined Hartwell in the round of 32 by posting a 4 and 2 win over Pamela Kuong of Wellesley Hills, Mass., the 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur runner-up.

But Kristine Franklin of Broomfield saw her run end in the round of 64, falling 5 and 4 to Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas, the 2004 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion.

Hartwell, a co-medalist in Colorado-based qualifying for this championship, won five of the first seven holes on Monday and never looked back. She finished 1 over par through the 12 holes of the match, making two birdies in the process.

Eaton, who last month won her fifth CWGA Senior Stroke Play title, similarly vaulted out to a quick start, standing 5 up through nine holes. She was 4 over through 16 holes, finishing things off with a birdie-2.

Franklin, the 1986 CWGA Stroke Play champion, was 2 down through eight holes, then Creekmore won the next four. Franklin was 12 over for the 14 holes.

On Tuesday, the round of 32 and round of 16 will be contested. In the round of 32, Eaton will face fifth-seeded Tara Fleming of Jersey City, N.J. Hartwell will take on Mina Hardin of Mexico, the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Am champ.

Here are the results of all the players with strong Colorado ties:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Pamela Kuong of Wellesley Hills, Mass., 4 and 2
Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas def. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield, 5 and 4
Susan Hartwell of Arvada def. Mimi Hoffman of Springfield, Va., 8 and 6

STROKE PLAY
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
17. Susan Hartwell of Arvada 78-77–155
25. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79-77–156
31. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield 75-83–158
FAILED TO MAKE MATCH PLAY
66. Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy 78-86–164
100. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87-84–171
104. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver 83-89–172
110. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 85-88–173
123. Sandra Bickel of La Porte 93-85–178
125. Lisa Lee of Longmont 90-90–180
130. Sue Davis of Aurora 99-95–194

For all the results from the Senior Women’s Am, CLICK HERE.

Susan Hartwell of Arvada, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton and Kristine Franklin of Broomfield made the grade by finishing among the top 64 in the stroke-play portion of the event, which concluded on Sunday. Match play will begin on Monday.

Hartwell placed 17th out of 132 players, while Eaton was 25th and Franklin 31st.

Hartwell, the co-medalist in Colorado-based qualifying for this event, shot a 5-over-par 77 on Sunday that left her at 11-over 155 overall. Hartwell parred her first nine holes before playing her next five in 5 over, then parring her last four.

Eaton, a quarterfinalist in this championship four times, also posted a 77 on Sunday, checking in at 156. She finished with one birdie, four bogeys and a double bogey in round 2.

Franklin, the 1986 CWGA Stroke Play champion when she was known as Kris Hoos, built a big enough cushion on Saturday to make it to match play despite shooting eight strokes higher on Sunday. She went 75-83 for a 158 total.

In very difficult scoring conditions, the best stroke-play total was 2-over-par 146, shot by co-medalists Lara Tennant of Portland and Helene Chartrand of Canada.

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties:

ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
17. Susan Hartwell of Arvada 78-77–155
25. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79-77–156
31. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield 75-83–158

FAILED TO MAKE MATCH PLAY
66. Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy 78-86–164
100. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87-84–171
104. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver 83-89–172
110. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 85-88–173
123. Sandra Bickel of La Porte 93-85–178
125. Lisa Lee of Longmont 90-90–180
130. Sue Davis of Aurora 99-95–194

 
For all the scores from the Senior Women’s Am, CLICK HERE.

Kristine Franklin of Broomfield, who won the CWGA Stroke Play in 1986 when she was known as Kris Hoos, was 3 over par after two holes at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore., but played her final 11 holes in 1 under to shoot a 3-over 75. That leaves her in third place out of 132 players with one day left in the stroke-play portion of the championship. She trails leader Lara Tennant of Portland by two strokes.

The top 64 players after Sunday’s second round will advance to match play, which begins on Monday.

Three other players with strong Colorado connections are also in the top 64 after Saturday’s first round: Susan Hartwell of Arvada (78, 23rd place), part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy (78, 23rd place) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, a four-time quarterfinalist in this event (79, 34th place.)

Here are the scores for the players with strong Colorado ties:

3. Kristine Franklin of Broomfield 75
23. Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy 78
23. Susan Hartwell of Arvada 78
34. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79
79. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver 83
96. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial 85
109. Kathy Malpass of Evergreen 87
117. Lisa Lee of Longmont 90
126. Sandra Bickel of La Porte 93
130. Sue Davis of Aurora 99

For all the scores from the Senior Women’s Am, CLICK HERE.

All in all, it was a memorable performance for Janet Moore on Thursday in U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifying at The Club at Cordillera’s Valley Course in Edwards.

Let’s count the ways:

— The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer (left) from Centennial shot a 4-under-par 32 on her front nine, a score so good she can’t remember when she last had a nine-hole total as low.

— She not only earned medalist honors at the Colorado-based U.S. Senior Women’s Am qualifying for the second straight year, but this time her even-par 72 was the best score by a whopping six strokes.

— With Thursday’s showing, Moore has gone 3-for-3 in her qualifying attempts for the Senior Women’s Amateur. Moreover, after having earned a spot last week in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, she’s now qualified for an impressive 22 individual-event USGA championships between the U.S. Women’s Am, U.S. Senior Women’s Am and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.

“I really wasn’t planning on playing that well (Thursday). It just kind of happened — and it was really fun,” said Moore, a five-time CWGA Stroke Play champion.

A year after shooting 80 in very windy conditions to finish first in the Cordillera qualifier, Moore scored considerably better on Thursday. In posting her front-nine 32, she needed just 11 putts. With a 4-over 40 on the back nine, she ended up with four birdies and four bogeys on the day.

“I can’t complain with even (par) ever,” Moore said. “I’ll always take even.”

The performance capped a very impressive last week for Moore, 52, and her husband, fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore. On Aug. 18, Janet Moore landed a spot in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur for the 16th time. And on Tuesday, Kent Moore won the CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play, the seventh different individual CGA championship that he’s claimed over the last 43 years. Then Janet ran away with medalist honors on Thursday.

“I was very pleased with my round today,” said Moore, who was in the first group off in Thursday’s qualifier. “I was a little nervous coming back here because it was so tough last year with the winds and the greens were fast and pretty firm. This year, we had a few holes in the wind, but nothing like last year. It was a different golf course this year.”

On Thursday, Janet Moore earned one of 10 available berths into the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, which will be held Sept. 17-22 at Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club.

Joining her in advancing from the 39-player field were part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy (78), who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Am; Katherine Moore-Lilly of Minneapolis (79), Kathy Malpass of Evergreen (80), Deb Hughes of Denver (80), Sandra Young of Monument (80), Bev Hoffenberg of Littleton (81), Jen Holland of Branford, Conn. (81), Jo Rasmussen of Westport, Conn. (83) and Susan Hartwell of Arvada (83). Rasmussen and Hartwell prevailed in a four-golfer playoff to earn the final two national spots, with Rasmussen qualifying on the first extra hole and Hartwell on the third.

(One group of qualifiers is pictured above, from left: Hoffenberg, Hughes, Moore, Hardy, Young, Moore-Lilly and Malpass. The other three are pictured at left, from left: Rasmussen, Hartwell and Holland.)

With her qualifying performances the last two weeks, Moore figures to have a very busy middle of September on the golf course at USGA championships. The national Women’s Mid-Am is scheduled for Sept. 10-15 in Erie, Pa., and the Senior Women’s Am starts on Sept. 27 in Massachusetts.

“I feel very grateful I’ve qualified for both and I’m excited to play in both,” Moore said. “I’ve been working on some swing changes for a while, and they’re starting to come together.” 

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Club at Cordillera’s Valley Course in Edwards

ADVANCE TO U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S AM
Janet Moore, Centennial, Colo. 32-40–72
Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas 39-39–78
Katherine Moore-Lilly, Minneapolis, Minn. 40-39–79
Deborah Hughes, Denver, Colo. 37-43–80
Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. 39-41–80
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. 40-40–80
Beverly Hoffenberg, Littleton, Colo. 39-42–81
Jen Holland, Branford, Conn. 42-39–81
Jo Rasmussen, Westport, Conn. 40-43–83
Susan Hartwell, Arvada, Colo. 40-43–83

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Barbara Paonessa, New Rochelle, N.Y. 39-44–83
Debra Woolf, Fort Worth, Texas 41-42–83

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Cindy Gilkeson, Sugarland, Texas 42-42–84
Leslie Diane Henry, Carrollton, Texas 38-46–84
Rosemary McKeown, Las Cruces, N.M. 43-41–84
Kathleen Johnson, Broomfield, Colo. 45-40–85
Carol Turnage, Anna, Texas 42-43–85
Nancy Beck, Dallas, Texas 42-44–86
Diane Henry, Kerrville, Texas 44-42–86
Liz Kennedy, Grand Junction, Colo. 43-43–86
Julie Robichaux, Kingwood, Texas 40-47–87
Alicia Bolam, Windsor, Colo. 46-44–90
Debra Bolke, Aurora, Colo. 44-46–90
Karen Hale, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 45-47–92
Charlotte Barley, Springfield, Ore. 41-52–93
Mary Doyen, Denver, Colo. 47-47–94
Kay Geitner, Centennial, Colo. 45-49–94
Mimi Petke, Mission Viejo, Calif. 46-48–94
Susie Schell, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 45-49–94
Wendy Atkinson, Westminster, Colo. 47-48–95
Julie Coleman, Grand Junction, Colo. 45-50–95
Juliet Miner, Castle Rock, Colo. 46-49–95
Lynne Janis, Denver, Colo. 47-50–97
Jean Miller, Arvada, Colo. 50-47–97
Vicki Porter, Denver, Colo. 42-55–97
Patty Smogor, Centennial, Colo. 51-47–98
Pat Oconnor, Fort Collins, Colo. 58-45–103
Patricia Neuenhoff, Chappaqua, N.Y. WD
Suzanne Sturz, Pleasantville, N.Y. WD