Rondout teen looks to defend county title
Pennington headlines field for this weekend’s Ulster County women’s championship
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Coming off a major junior victory, Amber Pennington is primed to defend her Ulster County Women’s Golf Association championship this weekend.
“I’m pretty confident,” said Pennington, who last year became — at age 13 — the youngest ever to win the UCWGA title. She had won by nine strokes.
Pennington, who begins her sophomore year at Rondout High School this fall, won the 20th annual Metropolitan Golf Association Women’s Public Links Championship last Thursday at Hudson Hills Golf Course in Ossining.
She registered four birdies and 10 pars en route to a 3-over-par 74. She won the event, her first MGA tournament, by five strokes.
“My school year didn’t work out as well as I hoped but, this summer, I’ve played really well,” Pennington said.
The county tourney’s Championship Flight begins Friday at Woodstock. The second round is at Lazy Swan on Saturday and it concludes Sunday at Wiltwyck.
The field has been nearly doubled, from 18 in 2016 to 34 overall this year.
“I believe by opening up the handicap and setting the flights before the tournament attracted more women,” UCWGA Director Diane Myers
said.
The A and B Flights, comprised of 25 players, will compete on Saturday and Sunday.
The nine-player Championship Flight features past champions Kim Hines (2010, ’12, ’13) and Ellen Densen (2009, ’11 and reigning senior champion). Pennington, Hines and Densen, who placed third last year, form the first group and tee off at 9 a.m. Friday.
The rest of the main flight includes Myers (fourth last year), Lynn Formica, Kathy Murphy, Cindy Woebse, Mary Gersec and Chelsea Lapp. Becky Fall, runner-up in 2016, is not returning for this year’s event.
Gersec, who will be entering her junior year at Rondout, qualified for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tourney with Pennington. Lapp completes the Gander theme to this flight. She is a 2013 Rondout grad.
Pennington has been getting ready for the 54hole challenge.
“Two weeks ago, I played six rounds of 18 (at Rondout),” she said. “I hit in the high 70s in the early rounds, then I tired and hit in the low 80s.
“The key is being consistent for long periods of time, of being able to hold my swing over the rounds.”
Pennington played Lazy Swan last Sunday and broke par there for the first time, shooting a 69. FRIDAY’S TEE TIMES At Woodstock Championship Flight 9 a.m.: Amber Pennington, Kim Hines, Ellen Densen 9:10 a.m.: Kathleen Murphy, Diane Myers, Lynn Formica 9:20 a.m.: Cindy Woebse, Chelsea Lapp, Mary Gersec —— SATURDAY’S TEE TIMES At Lazy Swan Championship Flight Tee times: 10 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 10:20 a.m. (groups to be reseeded after first round) A/B Flights 10:40 a.m.: Kathy Riisenberg, Connie D’Alessandro, Lenore Schulte 10:50 a.m.: Cathy Copeland, Linda Hudson, Marianne Albamont 11 a.m.: Ann Meyer, Sandy Mancuso-Lopez, Yvonne Merck 11:10 a.m.: Cheryl Williams, Nancy Gogg, Cynde Modjeska 11:20 a.m.: Pat DeCicco, Linda DePuy, Francine Xavier 11:30 a.m.: Jackie Roudis, Marsha Weiss, Silvana Dudek 11:40 a.m.: Mary Furey, Jayne Bellamy, Theresa Keefe 11:50 a.m.: Marge Bennett, Linda Williams Noon: Colleen Martin, Helena Baldyga