Briefly: Alabama’s Susan West and Florida’s Beatriz Arenas both fired 4-over 76s in the 37th WSGA Senior Amateur to lead the Championship Division by two strokes at Woodside Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Maryland native Bonnie Fry leads the Tournament Division by two strokes after shooting 10-over 82 on Monday.
Leaders: Susan West and Beatriz Arenas share the lead by two strokes in the Championship Division heading into the second round, both carding rounds of 4-over 76. West started her day on the front nine and with a bogey on the par 5 second hole and a double bogey on the par 4 ninth hole, making the turn with a 3 over par 39. Her first birdie came on the par 3 tenth hole followed by two bogeys on the back nine to finish with a 76. Co-leader, Beatriz Arenas also started on the front nine and had two birdies, the par 4 first hole, and the par 4 fourteenth hole. Bonnie Fry holds a two-stroke lead in the Tournament Division after shooting 10-over 82 in the first round. She played a solid round combining three birdies with nine bogeys and two double-bogeys.
In Contention: In the Championship Division, Tama Caldabaugh of Florida, Cindy Gilkeson of Texas, and Laura Coble of Georgia sit tied for third at 6-over 78 to trail West and Arenas by two strokes. In solo sixth is Tennesee’s Erica Chappell who shot a 7-over 79 at Woodside Country Club. In the Tournament Division, Aiken local Sherri Vogel sits two back from the lead after carding a 12-over 84. Elizabeth Nenon of Mississippi and Patty Moore of North Carolina are just three strokes behind the lead heading in tomorrow’s second round.
Golf Course: The Women’s Southern Senior Amateur has returned to Woodside Country Club, located in Aiken, South Carolina for the second time, first in 2007 and again in 2022. Woodside originally opened in 1987 with 18 holes designed by Rees Jones. The club completed an expansion in the spring of 1991, bringing the Woodside Member an additional 18 holes built by Bob Cupp, where this competition is being contested.
Weather: Temperatures started this morning in the 50s and did not get any warmer than the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies. Winds remained steady at around 10 mph making conditions challenging combined with the chilly weather.
Tournament Format: Entry to the WSGA Senior Championship is open to amateur golfers who have reached their 50th birthday by October 3, have a USGA handicap index of no more than 23.5, and are members of the WSGA through a WSGA member golf club or a women’s golf organization 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 Division and Tournament Division. The Championship Division will play from 5,700 yards while the Tournament Division will play from 5,300 yards. After 36-holes, the Tournament Division will be divided into flights.
Women’s Southern Golf Association: The first WSGA Senior Amateur was held in 1986 and won by Nita McMaster from Florida. Now in its 37th 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. shotgun on Tuesday, October 4th. To see the pairings for the second round, click here. To see all the scores from Woodside Country Club – Cupp Course, click here.
For more information on the Women’s Southern Senior Amateur, click here.