Notebook: 7 Players Can Recall First Championship

By Ken Klavon, USGA

The Woodlands, Texas – They are a sorority of sorts, bonded by the same factoid.

Since the USGA began the biennial Women’s State Team Championship in 1995, only seven players remain from the salad days. Those seven in the aggregate 156-player field have appeared in every event.

Mary Jane Hiestand of Florida; Alabama's Martha Lang; Joan Garety of Michigan; Nebraska’s Susan Marchese; Pennsylvania’s Liz Haines and Carol Semple Thompson; and Karen Ferree of South Carolina are part of that dwindling number. It’s a bond that many of them wear as a badge of honor.

“I love to play in any USGA event,” said Marchese. “It’s always the best course; it’s always the most challenging of all the tournaments.”

Ferree, 56, said she values each state team championship she plays in, more so now.

“It gets harder and harder because the women’s game has gotten so much bigger,” said Ferree. “It is more special.”

“It’s an honor to have been to all seven,” said Garety. “It’s such a neat tournament – very special. To play for a state is pretty cool. To play for a team is pretty fun.”

Each player interviewed recalled something memorable from at least two prior state team championships. Semple Thompson, a seven-time USGA individual champion, remembered the inaugural State Team that was conducted at Lake Buena Vista Club in Florida. Without a doubt it stands out as her favorite, namely because Pennsylvania won.

“My captain came up to me – after I had fluffed a chip out of rough about 8-10 feet – on the last hole. She said, ‘We have to have this to win.’ Fortunately I made it from about 12 feet,” said Semple Thompson.

Texas In Spotlight          

Texas very well could be a contender this week. It boasts three strong amateurs in Carolyn Creekmore, Mina Hardin and Anna Schultz. All are accomplished players, with Creekmore and Schultz winning the 2004 and 2007 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur titles, respectively.

“There’s no pressure,” said Schultz, the runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur and 2006 Senior Women's Amateur. “We’re just glad to be in Texas.”

They are quietly confident, yet knowing there are no guarantees or deep-seeded advantages for playing in their home state. Maybe being acclimated to the hot weather could be to their benefit. Outside of that, they just intend to do their best.

“I would think that if we play well,” said Creekmore, “we’ll do well in the championship.”

For the record, Minnesota was the last team to win in its own state, in 2001 at Woodhill Country Club in Wayzata. Minnesota's men's squad also won the title that year at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska.

Big House

Massachusetts’ Susan Choi headed toward the 17th green Monday before stopping and doing an about-face. She, like many other players, was in awe of some of the houses that line the Nicklaus Course. Ornate and large in structure, Choi quipped, “They’re like resorts.”

Ace Time

On that same 17th hole, a 139-yard par 3, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll grabbed a 6-iron while practicing and aimed for the center flagstick. The ball hopped three times, disappearing into the hole. Slobodnik-Stoll, 36, of Haslett, Mich., stood speechless. It was her first ever hole-in-one.

“I’m embarrassed to say that,” said Slobodnik-Stoll. “[Teammates] Theresa [Delcamp] and Joan [Garety] were like, ‘Jump up and down or something.’

“As any player who has played a long time knows, it’s something you wait for so long and for it to finally to happen …. I just wish it would have been tomorrow.”

Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.