Shelly Stouffer, Jackie Little And Alison Murdoch Win Titles At Cowichan
Shelley Stouffer Overcame A Three-Stroke Deficit In The Last Three Holes To Win The Mid-Master Division Of The British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship At Cowichan - Image Credit Alfie Lau
by Alfie Lau
Sitting three shots behind Alberta’s Jessica Luciuk with only three holes to go, Fairwinds Golf & Country Club’s Shelly Stouffer saw the BC Mid-Master title slipping through her fingers.
But a clutch birdie on the 16th and pars on the final two holes were enough for Stouffer to come away with the big prize from the British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club.
Luciuk had a six-foot par putt on the final hole to force a playoff, but her closing bogey was only good enough for second place.
Stouffer’s final round (+2) 74, which gave her a (+8) total of 224 over 54 holes was enough to nip Luciuk by one stroke. Luciuk shot a (+4) round of 76 to finish at 225.
In the Senior category, Nanaimo North Zone 6’s Jackie Little overcame a one-stroke deficit to beat Victoria’s Alison Murdoch by two strokes. Little shot a (+4) round of 76 to finish at (+15) 231, two strokes ahead of Murdoch, who shot (+7) 79 to finish at (+17) 233.
Murdoch did walk away with the Super Senior title, finishing three strokes clear of Shaughnessy’s Holly Horwood, who finished at (+20) 236.
But the story of the final round at Cowichan was Stouffer and her big comeback. “Jessica was playing well and I knew I had to make that putt on 16,” said Stouffer.
“And I’m happy with how I played 17 and 18 because yesterday, I made doubles on both those holes. Making par on 17 and 18 was great. After I hit my drive down the middle on 18, I was really happy because I went OB the day before.”
Luciuk was gracious afterwards, saying the better player won. “She deserved to win,” said Luciuk. “I had to scramble like crazy all round and even when I was leading, I knew I wasn’t hitting the ball well enough. I’ve got some work to do before the BC Amateur.”
Luciuk said she thought Stouffer and her would be going to a playoff. “I thought I made the putt,” said Luciuk. “But that’s how my day went. I think the better player won today.”
SENIOR DIVISION
Little defended her British Columbia Senior title, the fifth time she’s won the honour (2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008).
Little played a solid round, with birdies on the 9th and 12th holes negating her early bogeys on 3 and 6. While Murdoch was coming back to the field, Little was playing a steady game that only ran into problems with a closing double bogey on 17 and bogey on 18.
image credit alfie lau
Jackie Little Of Nanaimo-North Zone 6 Lifts The BC Senior Women’s Championship Trophy
“I never look at the leaderboard,” said Little. “I’m just trying to play as well as I can. I’m just happy Alison didn’t have 7 birdies today (like during Round 2). I’m very proud of defending the senior title.”
Murdoch had no birdies during her final round, as her opening bogey and double bogey catapulted Little to the top of the leaderboard. “The first two holes got me on the last two days,” said Murdoch. “I made a 7 on 2 yesterday and it just wasn’t the start I needed.”
SUPER SENIOR DIVISION
But Murdoch did walk away with the Super Senior title, which surprised the longtime Victoria Golf Club member. “I was looking at the leaderboard to see where I was in relation to Jackie,” said Murdoch. “I didn’t even know I was leading the Super Senior division. It is a nice prize to win.”
ZONE COMPETITION
In the Zone Competition which concluded after 36 holes, the Zone 5 team of Alison Murdoch and Penny Baziuk finished tied at (+28) 316 with the Zone 6 team of Jackie Little and Josee Deslauriers but the title went to the Zone 5 team of Murdoch and Baziuk because of a better back-9 scorecard.
BEST-BALL COMPETITION
The team of Darleen Michell of Mount Brenton Golf Club and Brenda Samis of Vernon Golf & Country Club shot a (-9) round of 63 to come from the middle of the pack to take the Best-Ball Competiton by one stroke over second-round leaders Alison Murdoch and Karen Kloske. Michell and Samis finished at (-16) 200, one stroke ahead of Murdoch and Kloske, who shot an even par final round to finish at (-15) 201.
STABLEFORD A, B & C FLIGHTS
Murdoch won the Stableford A Flight division with 105 points, three more than runner-up Diana Ferracuti of the Okanagan Golf Club.
Georgina Hermans of Cordova Bay Golf Club won the Stableford B Flight with 102 points, four more than runner-up Lorraine Clerihue of the Capilano Golf & Country Club. Diana Maughan of Shaughnessy won the Stableford C Flight division with 100 points, four more than her Shaughnessy clubmate Judy Rollick.
image credit alfie lau
Team BC For The Canadian Seniors Is, From Left, Super Senior Champion Alison Murdoch Of The Victoria Golf Club, Senior Champion Jackie Little Of Nanaimo-North Zone 6 And Diana Ferracuti From The Okanagan Golf Club
Little, Murdoch and Ferracuti have earned spots to represent British Columbia Golf at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort & Spa in Camlachie, ON from Aug. 26-28.
British Columbia Golf 2016 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship Site Announced
British Columbia Golf is proud to announce that the Kelowna Golf & Country Club will be hosting the 2016 British Columbia Golf Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship.
For full results of all 8 2015 competitions from Cowichan, please click here