Georgia Leads By Four After First Round Of Women's State Team Championship

Fort Wayne, Ind. – No team has ever won the USGA Women’s State Team Championship more than once since the biennial event began in 1995.

Georgia could be the first.

Buoyed by a 3-under-par 69 from 22-year-old Dori Carter of Valdosta, Georgia posted a 1-under 143 on Tuesday for a four-stroke lead over South Carolina after the first round at the 6,095-yard, par-72 Sycamore Hills Golf Club.

Georgia, which won this championship in 2005 at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, S.C., also received a pair of 2-over 74s from 15-year-old Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale and Laura Coble, 45, of Augusta in the 3-count-2 format. Coble was a member of the victorious 2005 team.

Georgia teen Mariah Stackhouse rebounded from a tough opening nine to shoot a 2-over 74 at Sycamore Hills G.C. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)

“We would love to do that,” said Coble on the chance to win a second Women’s State Team title. “There would be no one happier. There’s a lot of golf left to play. There are a lot of good teams out here.”

Carter, who completed her college eligibility at the University of Mississippi this past spring, posted the lowest round of the day on the Jack Nicklaus design that yielded only three sub-par scores and played to a stroke average of 83.925. Her round included five birdies and two bogeys.

Mississippi’s Virginia Grimes, the 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion and three-time USA Curtis Cup team member, and Claudia Pilot, a member of Minnesota’s victorious team in 2001, each shot 2-under-par 70s, but their teams posted scores of 6-over 150 and 7-over 151, respectively.

Defending champion Arizona posted 18-over 162, the same total as the host team Indiana.

Carter kept her round going with a clutch 5-foot par save at the 14th hole – “I was ready to play and finish up strong after that” – and then birdied No. 16 by knocking her 58-degree wedge approach to 3 feet. Carter’s other second-nine birdie came at the 13th hole when her 52-degree wedge approach stopped 4 feet from the hole.

“It’s great,” said Carter. “I feel honored to be on this team. Just looking at the other two names, I can’t believe I am the third player.”

Stackhouse rebounded from a 5-over 41 on the outward nine to shoot a second-nine 33, which included six birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. A 21-foot par save at nine seemed to ignite Stackhouse, who won the Georgia Women’s Open and Georgia Women’s Amateur this summer.

“I just started making putts,” said Stackhouse, a sophomore at North Clayton High. “Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to erase the mistakes I had today.”

Coble is no stranger to USGA events. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur held last month in St. Louis and has played in numerous U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs. The 10-time Georgia Women’s Player of the Year had four birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey.

“I had a couple of hiccups out there today,” said Coble.

South Carolina, which shot 3-over 147, was paced by a 1-over 73 from 48-year-old Wallace Hamerton of Bluffton and a 74 from Dawn Woodard, 35, of Greer.

Thanks to Grimes’ 70, Mississippi shared third at 6-over 150 with Colorado, which got an even-par 72 from 22-year-old Rachel Larson of Longmont and a 78 by Kim Eaton, age, of Greeley. Cissye Gallagher, 42, of Greenwood added an 80 for Mississippi.

“I missed a couple of short putts for par – little breakers – but that’s OK,” said Grimes, who made six birdies, including a 3-footer on the difficult 376-yard, par-4 18th hole, where she hit the flagstick with her 155-yard, 5-iron approach. “I feel a lot better [about my game] now. My putter feels good. It was a good, solid day.”

Pilot, meanwhile, got off to a hot start with birdies on one, three and four. She also rolled in a 45-foot birdie at the par-5 15th hole but three-putted No. 16, costing her a chance at sharing the day’s low round.

“In my practice rounds, I was just thinking, ‘OK give me 78 or something like that,’ ” said Pilot, a semifinalist at the 2008 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur. “It’s just God works in mysterious ways. I seriously hit it horribly on the range and in my last five swings, I figured out something. I went to the golf course with that.”

The 54-hole stroke-play competition continues with the second and final rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Story written by USGA Digital Media staff writer David Shefter. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Scores from the first round of stroke play at the 2009 USGA Women’s State Team Championship being conducted at the 6,095-yard, par-72 Sycamore Hills Golf Club. The low two scores from each three-player team are used in determining the team score.

1-Georgia: 143; Dori Carter, Valdosta 34-35--69; Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale 41-33--74; Laura Coble, Augusta 36-38--74

2-South Carolina: 147; Wallace Hamerton, Bluffton 37-36--73; Dawn Woodard, Greer 38-36--74; Lea Venable, Simpsonville 39-47--86

T3-Mississippi: 150; Virginia Grimes, Meridian 35-35--70; Cissye Gallagher, Greenwood 40-40--80; Alexis Rather,      Oxford 41-41--82

T3-Colorado: 150; Rachel Larson, Longmont 37-35--72; Kim Eaton, Greeley 41-37--78; Janet Moore, Greenwood Village 44-40--84

T5-Hawaii: 151; Cyd Okino, Honolulu 40-35--75; Xyra Suyetsugu, Honolulu 38-38--76; Kacie Komoto, Honolulu 39-41--80

T5-California: 151; Kathy Kurata, Pasadena 37-38--75; Sharon Park, Irvine 38-38--76; Maki Kamimura, West Covina 40-41--81

T5-Minnesota: 151; Claudia Pilot, Austin 34-36--70; Leigh Klasse, St Anthony 41-40--81; Alison Meyer, Duluth 41-45--86

T8-Alabama: 152; Jordan Hardy, Sylacauga 34-40--74; Kathy Hartwiger, Birmingham 39-39--78; Martha Lang, Birmingham 40-41--81

T8-Florida: 152; Wendi Golden, Bradenton 39-36--75; Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park 37-40--77; Gennifer Mendez, North  Port 38-44--82

10-Maryland:154; Kaitlyn Rohrback, Crofton 37-37--74; Corrie Tayman, Bethesda 40-40--80; Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville 39-42--81

T11-Tennessee: 156; Kendall Martindale, Jefferson City 38-37--75; Paula Bell, Memphis 39-42--81; Rachel Ingram, Jonesborough 43-40--83

T11-North Carolina: 156; Patty Moore, Charlotte 39-37--76; Staci Creech, Chapel Hill 41-39--80; Maggie Weder,         Greenville 41-44--85

T13-Texas: 157; Mina Hardin, Fort Worth 41-37--78; Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas 41-38--79; Anna Schultz, Rockwall 41-39--80

T13-Wisconsin: 157; Rheba Mabie, Boulder Junction 39-39--78; Maggie Leef, Brookfield 40-39--79; Vicky VandenBrook, Fitchburg 43-50--93

T15-Louisiana: 158; Julie Harrison, Baton Rouge 35-41--76; Sarah Davison, Choudrant 41-41--82; Kie McNabb, Deridder 42-40--82

T15-Virginia: 158; Mimi Hoffman, Springfield 40-39--79; Boodie McGurn, Richmond 35-44--79; Linda DiVall, Alexandria 41-43--84

T15-Oklahoma: 158; LeeAnn Fairlie, Oklahoma City 37-41--78; Patty Coatney, Stillwater 39-41--80; Janet Miller, Catoosa 45-43--88

18-District of Columbia: 159; Janice Calomiris, Washington 33-42--75; Maggie Brady, Washington 43-41--84; Deborah Klein, Washington 44-44--88

T19-Oregon: 160; Loree McKay, Portland 42-36--78; Charisse Spada, Portland 41-41--82; Lara Tennant, Portland 44-38--82

T19-Massachusetts: 160; Chelsea Curtis, Mashpee 42-37--79; Pam Kuong, Wellesley Hills 41-40--81; Tara Joy-Connelly, Pembroke 48-44--92

T21-Pennsylvania: 161; Noreen Mohler, Bethlehem 39-39--78; Lisa McGill, Philadelphia 42-41--83; Carol Semple Thompson, Sewickley 41-44--85

T21-Illinois: 161; Kerry Postillion, Burr Ridge 38-37--75; DeAnne Stolarik, Zion 40-46--86; Laura Carson, Lake Bluff 45-43--88

T23-Alaska: 162; Margaux Sheehan, Anchorage 41-40--81; Jamie Berge, Anchorage 40-41--81; Rynae Baca, Wasilla 45-48--93

T23-Arizona: 162; Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Tempe 39-39--78; Lynn Simmons, Phoenix 39-45--84; Barbara Byrnes, Mesa 44-45--89

T23-Indiana: 162; Kristi Piepenbrink, Greenwood 42-39--81; Julie Carmichael, Indianapolis 42-39--81; Nina Whalen, Indianapolis 43-39--82

26-Kentucky: 163; Susan Loyd, Lexington 35-42--77; Sami Montgomery Wilson, Paris 44-42--86; Krissy Martin,             Louisville 46-42--88

T27-New York: 164; Christy Schultz, Rochester 43-38--81; Rene Sobolewski, Williamsville 42-41--83; Teresa Cleland,  Syracuse 42-45--87

T27-Iowa: 164; Kendra Hanson, West Des Moines 45-37--82; Jenny Graeser, Cedar Falls 40-42--82; Therese Morgan, Ankeny 45-40--85

T27-Washington: 164; Leslie Folsom, Seattle 41-39--80; Catherine Allen, Bellingham 43-41--84; Anne Carr, Renton 42-44--86

T30-Delaware: 165; Christina Vosters, Bethany Beach 35-41--76; Karen Sergison, Ocean View 44-45--89; Sandra DiBiase, Hockessin 47-49--96

T30-Connecticut: 165; Debbie Johnson, Stamford 41-38--79; Daria Cummings, Monroe 40-46--86; Lisa Fern-Boros, Shelton 48-47--95

T32-New Jersey: 167; Adrienne MacLean, Verona 44-39--83; Fran Gacos, Farmingdale 39-45--84; Susan DeKalb, Middletown 44-47--91

T32-Nebraska: 167; Susan Marchese, Omaha 37-46--83; Anne Robertson, Columbus 42-42--84; Jane Pohlman, Omaha 43-46--89

T34-Arkansas: 168; Julie Oxendine, Russellville 41-42--83; Tanna Richard, Ft. Smith 43-42--85; Tracy Duncan, Blytheville 39-50--89

T34-Ohio: 168; Suzi Spotleson, Canton 39-43--82; Pat Milton, Munroe Falls 47-39--86; Frederique Bruell, Shaker Heights 41-50--91

T34-West Virginia: 168; Nicolle Flood-Sawczyszyn, Morgantown 39-44--83; Patricia Maroney, Glen Dale 40-45--85; Caroline Ramsey, Bridgeport 43-45--88

T34-Nevada: 168; Christina Monteiro, Las Vegas 38-44--82; Lisa Stanley, Reno 46-40--86; Christy Atencio, Reno 45-46--91

T38-Kansas: 169; Lacy Shelton, Overland Park 40-44--84; Kristy Rein, Great Bend 43-42--85; Gail Burden, Winfield 42-44--86

T38-Michigan: 169; Mary Vajgrt, Kalamazoo 40-43--83; Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Haslett 40-46--86; Theresa Delcamp, Grand Blanc 45-45--90

T38-Utah: 169; Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City 43-40--83; Echo Thatcher, Salt Lake City 47-39--86; Tenille Slack, Lehi 45-49--94

41-New Hampshire: 172; Dana Harrity, North Hampton 44-37--81; Louise Billy, Manchester 45-46--91;  Andrea Morrell, Manchester 47-45--92

42-Missouri: 174; Kathy Glennon, St Albans 43-41--84; Mary Ann Beattie, Chesterfield 45-45--90; Ginny Orthwein, St. Louis 47-43--90

43-Idaho: 176; Karen Darrington, Boise 40-45--85; Kareen Markle, Boise 46-45--91; Jean Smith, Eagle 45-47--92

44-South Dakota: 177; Kelli Endahl, Sioux Falls 43-45--88; Karla Murra, Sioux Falls 45-44--89; Julie Jansa, Sioux Falls 45-44--89

45-New Mexico: 179; Lara Davis, Albuquerque 42-44--86; Paige Darwin, Albuquerque 48-45--93; Annette Sieben, Albuquerque 45-49--94

46-Rhode Island: 183; Kibbe Reilly, Providence 39-48--87; Debbie Cyronak, Warwick 42-54--96; Annie Corio, Johnston 49-54--103

47-Wyoming: 186; Miranda Bandemer, Laramie 42-47--89; Mary Smith, Sheridan 47-50--97; Sarah Bowman, Parkman 47-59--106

48-Montana: 194; Sable Hamilton, Colstrip 48-46--94; Susan Matson, Laurel 52-48--100; Julia Jones, Missoula 55-50--105

49-Maine: 198; Bernice Vadnais, Old Orchard Beach 48-49--97; Barbara Rondeau, Bailey Island 48-53--101; Whitney Hand, Bucksport NC-NC--NC