Louisiana Ends First Round On Top

The Woodlands, Texas – Louisiana, trying to improve on a team-best eighth-place finish in 2005, overtook North Carolina and Tennessee late to lead after the first round at the 2007 USGA Women’s State Team Championship Tuesday.

Tennessee's Dawn Woodard keeps a keen eye on her drive off the ninth hole Tuesday. She turned in a 4-under 68, the low score of the day. (John Mummert/USGA)

On a scorching day on the par-72, 5,918-yard Jack Nicklaus design at The Club at Carlton Woods, high school junior Kyndall Ardoin, 16, of Gibsland helped propel Louisiana to the top with a firm 1-under-par 71. Covington’s Kay Daniel, one of two returning players from 2005, followed suit with a 2-over 74 as Louisiana enters the second round on Wednesday one stroke ahead of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Fourth-place Florida is two strokes back at 3-over 147, followed by Massachusetts, Arizona and Alabama at 149.

“It’s great,” said Daniel, the 2005 Louisiana State Amateur champion. “I know it’s by far the best Louisiana start.”

Said Ardoin, the back-to-back Louisiana State Amateur champion who carded five birdies: “Individually you make yourself known. From the team aspect, every stroke counts. Anything you do could affect it as well.”

Louisiana blistered by North Carolina and Tennessee in the afternoon heat. The two latter teams posted its scores in the morning, with 57-year-old Charlotte native Patty Moore’s 1-under 71 anchoring North Carolina, and Dawn Woodward, 33, of Franklin, enjoying a bogey-free round until three-putting on No. 9, her final hole.

Woodard finished with the day’s lowest round, shooting 4-under 68. Only four players shot sub-par rounds.

“I putted extremely well,” said Woodard, the medalist at the 2006 Women's Mid-Amateur and 2007 Tennessee State Amateur champion. “I didn’t have anything I did poorly. I managed my game well.”

Massachusetts, which started in the afternoon, was led by 23-year-old Susan Choi of Natick. The team flirted with first but fell into a tie for fifth by day's end. Choi, who picked up the game in high school, shot 1-over 73. She said the team didn’t set any concrete goals coming in.

“Of course we want to win,” said Choi. “Of course you say you’re going to play well and all that, but when the tournament starts and things like nerves come in, it can change things.”

One of seven players to appear in every Women’s State Championship, Mary Jane Hiestand, 48, of Naples, Fla., registered a 2-under 70 to push Florida into fourth place.  Hiestand began by bogeying three of her first four holes. She finished on No. 18 with a 22-foot birdie, the fifth of her round.

“I hate to say this, but walking up the 18th fairway I thought about it being my chance for my first sub-par round in a USGA event,” said Hiestand. 

Alabama was led by Courtney Trimble’s 2-over 144. The 27-year-old Trimble, a former Curtis Cupper and assistant women’s golf coach at Auburn University, made the turn two under par.

Three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 12-14 had the reinstated amateur tumbling and losing focus. That was until she nailed a clutch 24-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to at least walk off with something positive.

Georgia, the defending champion, had bolted into the lead after they made the turn in the afternoon, but dropped into a tie for 26th.

“I think our captain has reminded us a few times that they won in 2005,” said a smiling Erin Packer, 26, of Tyrone, whose father is a two-time U.S. Senior Open champion (2005 and '06) and father-in-law is CBS Sports basketball analyst Billy Packer. No players from that championship team returned this year.

The Women’s State Team championship is one of the national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association. In each of the three, 18-hole stroke play rounds, the two lowest scores by players from each team constitute the team score for each round. The 54-hole total is the team’s score for the championship.

The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half the game’s golfers and golf courses.

Story written by Ken Klavon, Web Editor for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.

Results

The Woodlands, Texas - Results of the seventh Women's State Team Championship ® that is being held on the par-72, 5,918-yard Jack Nicklaus design at The Club at Carlton Woods.

Louisiana 145; Kyndall Ardoin, Gibsland 38-33--71; Kay Daniel, Covington 36-38--74; Julie Harrison, Baton Rouge 40-38--78

North Carolina 146; Patty Moore, Charlotte 38-33--71; Maggie Weder, Greenville 40-35--75; Angela Stewart, Greenville 40-39--79

Tennessee 146; Dawn Woodard, Franklin 36-32--68; Shelley Anderson, Clarksville 38-40--78; Holly Cantwell, Morristown 41-39--80

Florida 147; Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples 37-33--70; Diane Lang, Weston 36-41--77; Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach 42-43—85

Alabama 149; Courtney Trimble, Auburn 34-40--74; Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham 41-34--75; Martha Lang, Birmingham 44-38--82

Arizona 149; Kayla Mortellaro, Phoenix 37-36--73; Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Tempe 39-37--76; Judy Miller, Tucson 35-44--79

Massachusetts 149; Susan Choi, Natick 37-36--73; Tara Joy-Connelly, Duxbury 37-39--76; Lisa Anderson, Middleton 39-38--77

South Carolina 151; Lea Venable, Simpsonville 36-38--74; Lea Anne Brown, Mt Pleasant 38-39--77; Karen Ferree, Hilton Head 42-37--79

Mississippi 152; Virginia Grimes, Meridian 38-34--72; Ashleigh Korzack, Starkville 38-42--80; Cissye Gallagher, Greenwood 48-38--86

Maryland 153; Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville 38-37--75; Kaitlyn Rohrback, Crofton 37-41--78; Corrie Tayman, Bethesda 41-42--83

Minnesota 153; Leigh Klasse, St Anthony 38-38--76; Mari Miezwa, Brooklyn Park 40-37--77; Lynn Anderson, Hopkins 43-39--82

Ohio 153; Lynn Thompson, Cincinnati 35-40--75; Elizabeth Kirkham, Cincinnati 37-41--78; Suzi Spotleson, Canton 42-38--80

Missouri 153; Mindy Bullard, Columbia 37-39--76; Ellen Port, St Louis 37-40--77; Barbara Berkmeyer, St Louis 42-41--83

California 154; Sharon Park, Irvine 37-39--76; Robyn Puckett, Irvine 41-37--78; Kathy Kurata, Pasadena 42-38--80

Texas 154; Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas 39-35--74; Mina Hardin, Fort Worth 38-42--80; Anna Schultz, Rockwall 41-39--80

Hawaii 155; Nicole Sakamoto, Honolulu 38-39--77; Hayley Young, Honolulu 39-39--78; Hee Sue Condry, Honolulu 45-46--91

Wisconsin 156; Rheba Mabie, Boulder Junction 37-37--74; Jan Krebs, Junction City 42-40--82; Katie Falk, Milwaukee 41-48--89

Georgia 157; Erin Packer, Tyrone 36-42--78; Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale 38-41--79; Susan Rheney, Greensboro 40-40--80

Oregon 157; Loree McKay, Portland 39-37--76; Lara Tennant, Portland 42-39--81; Charisse Spada, Portland 45-45—90

Virginia 158; Carol Green, Tazewell 38-39--77; Linda Divall, Alexandria 42-39--81; Stephanie Hicks, Glen Allen 42-42--84

Arkansas 159; Julie Oxendine, Russellville 36-43--79; Tanna Lee Richard, Ft Smith 41-39--80; Pam Spikes, Little Rock 42-44--86

Illinois 159; Laura Carson, Lake Bluff 41-37--78; Char McLear, Mchenry 41-40--81; Kerry Postillion, Burr Ridge 37-45--82

Colorado 159; Lynette Duran, Lakewood 39-38--77; Kim Eaton, Greeley 43-39--82; Cindy Pallatino, Denver 43-49--92

Iowa 160; Lisa Meshke, West Des Moines 38-38--76; Jenny Graeser, Cedar Falls 42-42--84; Julie Bush, Cedar Rapids 45-46--91

Idaho 161; Kareen Markle, Meridian 39-38--77; Jean Smith, Eagle 39-45--84; Karen Darrington, Boise 45-40--85

Pennsylvania 161; Lisa McGill, Philadelphia 39-40--79; Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley 41-41--82; Elizabeth Haines, Gladwyne 42-46--88

Indiana 163; Frances Walker, North Vernon 41-40--81; Nina Whalen, Indianapolis 42-40--82; Jackie Hauck, Fort Wayne 46-47--93

Kansas 163; Gail Burden, Winfield 41-36--77; Barbara Taber, Wichita 45-41--86; Alex Beury, Benton 45-43--88

Connecticut 164; Daria Cummings, Monroe 42-36--78; Debbie Jamgochian, Greenwich 41-45--86; Lisa Fern-Boros, Shelton 44-45--89

Montana 164; Jasi Acharya, Columbus 41-38--79; Jennifer Orcutt, Whitefish 42-43--85; Sue Matson, Laurel 58-53--111

South Dakota 165; Julie Jansa, Sioux Falls 42-40--82; Kelly Evans, Brookings 41-42--83; Chelsea Cadwell, Brandon 43-48--91

Michigan 165; Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Haslett 39-41--80; Joan Garety, Ada 41-44--85; Theresa Delcamp, Grand Blanc 44-41--85

New Mexico 165; Katharine Dorris, Glenwood 39-42--81; Kelli Dalpes, Las Cruces 40-44--84; Tessa Rae Jimenez, Grants 41-45--86

Nevada 165; Lisa Stanley, Reno 41-41--82; Elizabeth Carroll, Las Vegas 40-43--83; Christy Atencio, Reno 46-44--90

Kentucky 166; Morgan Cross, Elizabethtown 44-39--83; Jessica Grace, Henderson 46-37--83; Megan Moir, Louisville 41-51--92

Oklahoma 166; Lee Ann Fairlie, Oklahoma City 45-38--83; Natalie McNicholas, Tulsa 40-43--83; Ann Cowan, Elk City 43-49—92

Washington 166; Leslie Folsom, Seattle 42-41--83; Lisa Smego, Olympia 43-40--83; Ginny Burkey, Fircrest 42-43--85

New York 167; Cheryl Brayman, East Hills 38-44--82; Barbara Israel, New York 44-41--85; Teresa Cleland, Syracuse 47-47--94

Utah 167; Sue Nyhus, Orem 44-36--80; Lachell Poffenberger, Salt Lake City 43-44--87; Brooke Stewart, Salt Lake City 47-46--93

West Virginia 171; Karen Kinnett, Shepherdstown 44-41--85; Sue Goldcamp, Parkersburg 44-42--86; Patricia Maroney, Glen Dale 45-49--94

District of Columbia 172; Janice Calomiris, Washington 41-43--84; Deborah Klein, Washington 48-40--88; Maggie Brady, Washington 45-44--89

New Hampshire 173; Louise Billy, Manchester 45-41--86; Paula Ainsworth, Franconia 44-43--87; Andrea Morrell, Manchester 44-43--87

New Jersey 173; Donna Young, Ewing 44-42--86; Alicia Kapheim, Pennington 47-40--87; Frances Gacos, Flemington 42-46--88

Maine 173; Leslie Guenther, Hebron 39-44--83; Laurie Hyndman, Cumberland Foreside 46-44--90; Kristin Kannegieser, Minot 45-47--92

Wyoming 174; Sarah Bowman, Parkman 40-43--83; Mary Smith, Sheridan 43-48--91; Falinda Hall, Cody 46-53--99

Alaska 175; Margaux Sheehan, Anchorage 46-41--87; Jamie Berge, Anchorage 44-44--88; Cecilia Hopper, Anchorage 55-62--117

Nebraska 177; Jane Pohlman, Omaha 43-45--88; Susan Marchese, Omaha 44-45--89; Julie Hall, Norfolk 43-49--92

Rhode Island 177; Kibbe Reilly, Providence 43-44--87; Katherine Bullock, Warren 48-42--90; Donna Warner, Portsmouth 43-48--91

Delaware 183; Andrea Daly, New Castle 41-50--91; Dottie Farmer, Middletown 46-46--92; Sandy Scitti, Selbyville 46-47--93

Vermont 185; Elizabeth Walker, Marlboro 45-47--92; Nancy Gorham-La Sante, East Burke 43-50--93; Deirdre Morris, Brandon 50-47--97

North Dakota 192; Mary Lobin, Fargo 48-46--94; Gwen Nestaval, Grand Forks 51-47--98; Mary Adams, Grand Forks 53-49--102