Briefly:  In an exciting start to the Women’s Southern Amateur Golf Association Senior Championship, Kathy Hartwiger of Pinehurst, NC, and Dawn Woodard from Greer, SC, share the top spot after the First Round. Both players fired impressive scores of 1-under-par 70, setting the pace for the tournament and establishing themselves as strong contenders for the title.

Full Leaderboard

Championship Leaders:  Kathy Hartwiger, a seasoned competitor recently representing NC, is looking to add more hardware to her trophy case. Hartwiger won the Women’s Southern Senior in 2021 when she was playing in her former state of Alabama at Craft Farms Resort. Her bogey-free back nine was key to finishing under par, putting her in prime position for the remainder of the tournament. Dawn Woodard matched Hartwiger’s performance with a very composed round. Her ability around the greens was instrumental in keeping her score low, with just enough par saves throughout the day.

In Contention:  Following closely behind is Kimbra Benson of Leonardtown, MD, sitting at 1-over with a solid round of 72. Benson’s strategic approach kept her in contention, and she will be looking to close the gap in the coming rounds. Kay Daniel of Covington, LA, and Suzanne Ricard of Parkland, FL, are tied for fourth place at 3-over-par 74. Daniel overcame a few early mistakes but remained resilient, carding key birdies on the back nine.

Ricard, meanwhile, managed to stay steady despite the light rain, and looks to bring back a similar performance. Tama Caldabaugh from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, currently sits in sixth place at 5-over 76 and remains within striking distance. Following her are Kie McNabb DeRidder, LA, Judy Penman of Pinehurst, NC, and Carolina Hart of Juno Beach, FL, all tied at 6-under 77, rounding out the top nine contenders.

Tournament Division Leaders: Leading the way in the Tournament Division is Shawn McCullough from Pinehurst, NC, who showed remarkable composure on the challenging course. Her steady round of 5-over 76 reflected her determination to finish on top.

Right beside her, also with a total of 76, was Kendra Muir, another Pinehurst native. Kendra’s ability to remain calm under pressure helped her navigate the tricky course. In third place, just one stroke behind, stood Rise Alexander from Hot Springs, AR, With a total of 77, Rise had fought hard throughout the day and looks to do the same tomorrow.

In Contention:  Carol Ackerson of New Bern, NC, stands in fourth place after posting a solid round of 78. Just inside the top 5, Katherine DeVore of High Point, NC, is also making her move, positioning herself within reach of the Women’s Southern Senior Amateur Tournament Division title. Both players are eyeing the leaderboard, ready to challenge the top contenders in the final round. Just outside the top three, these two competitors are eager to make their charge and vault themselves into contention for the Women’s Southern Senior Championship.

Golf Course: First time host to the Women’s Southern Senior Amateur Championship, The 18-hole Country Club of Salisbury in Salisbury, North Carolina is a private golf course that opened in 1925. Designed by renowned architect Donald Ross, the course stretches 6,558 yards from the longest tees with a par 71. The course features well-placed bunkers and rolling greens, offering a solid test for golfers of all levels.

Weather: Today’s weather in Salisbury, North Carolina was relatively mild and pleasant, with a mix of clouds and sun. The temperature hovered around the mid-70s throughout the day, peaking at 76. There’s were passing showers in the afternoon, and the humidity was around 75%.

Tournament Format: Entry to the Women’s Southern Senior Championship is open to amateur golfers who have reached their 50th by September 30 and have a USGA handicap index of no more than 23.5 and located within the 15 Southern states and the District of Columbia. Scheduled for 54-holes of stroke play, the WSGA Senior Amateur will feature two sets of tees to separate the Championship and Tournament divisions. The Championship Division will play from 5,800 yards while the Tournament Division will play from 5,300 yards. After 36-holes, the players will be divided into flights.

Women’s Southern Golf Association: The first Women’s Southern Senior Amateur was held in 1986 and won by Nita McMaster from Florida. Now in its 39th year, the event continues to attract some of the southern state’s most elite female amateur golfers. Southern states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Next Up: The Second Round of the Women’s Southern Senior is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start with tee times off number 1 and 10. To see the pairings for the second round, click here. To see all the scores from the Country Club of Salisbury, click here.

For more information on the Women’s Southern Senior Amateur, click here.