Defending champ in early lead at tournament
Defending champ owns one-shot advantage despite early putting woes
Defending champion Amber Pennington overcame a rough start Friday and has a one stroke advantage after the first round of the Ulster County Women’s Golf Association tournament.
She shot an 8-over-par 39-39— 78 at Woodstock Golf Club to lead by one over Ellen Densen and four over Kim Hines. Diane Myers is five shots back.
Densen won the title in 2009 and ’11. Hines captured the UCWGA crown in 2010, ’12 and ’13.
Round two of the Championship Flight and the start of the A/B Flights is today at the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club in Saugerties. The tournament concludes Sunday at Wiltwyck.
Pennington, who became the youngest champion last year at age 13, had her power game working, but it was putting which hurt her early on.
“It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” she admitted after bogeys on the second, third and fourth holes. “I had two threeputts within that, My putting was horrible today. The only thing keeping me on my feet was my swing, so at least I had something. Luckily at here or Lazy Swan, that will work, but at Wiltwyck, I have to be on everything because the greens are so fast usually.”
That start shook her, but father/caddy Martin Pennington helped get her back on track.
“My dad was like, “Get yourself together. C’mon. Snap to it.’ He got me back on my feet. I just felt my mind spiralling out of control. Even my swing at that point. I wasn’t getting close to the pin as I wanted to, so we started off. ‘Get it on the green in regulation and then we’ll go from there.’
“He’s a big help. We’re a good team when we’re working together,” Pennington said, laughing. “Sometimes we’re brawling it out.”
She parred seven of the next eight holes to right herself. Pennington led Densen by a stroke at the turn and both shot 39s on the back nine.
“My drives were going left and right,” Densen noted. “I struggled, but my putting kept me in it.”
Densen had no trouble with her drive on the 115yard fourth hole. The tee shot rolled to a stop inches from the cup and she tapped it in for a birdie. That helped overcome a double bogey on the third hole.
Densen played a steady game on the back nine, parring four consecutive holes and finishing with five pars and four bogeys.
Hines and Myers are both within striking distance with Lazy Swan next.
“I was on the green every time,” Myers reported. “I didn’t have to chip once.”
Pennington planned to spend the rest of Friday on her putting green.
“I’m going to go home and work on my putting for hours. I can’t have that happen again,” she remarked.
“If I just play my game — if I shoot another round in the mid to low 70s — that would be great. Even If I break 80 that would be nice. Since the course is super long, I just need to keep it in play, make a couple of putts here and there and I should be fine.”
FRIDAY’S FIRST ROUND At Woodstock Championship Flight Amber Pennington ..................................... 39-39—78 Ellen Densen ............................................... 40-39—79 Kim Hines .................................................... 41-41—82 Diane Myers ................................................ 42-41—83 Chelsea Lapp .............................................. 48-41—89 Cindy Woebse ............................................. 45-48—93 Lynn Formica .............................................. 48-50—98 Kathy Murphy ............................................. 56-43—99 Mary Gersec ............................................... 59-49—108 —— SATURDAY’S TEE TIMES At Lazy Swan Championship Flight 10:10 a.m.: Amber Pennington, Kim Hines, Ellen Densen 10:20 a.m.: Diane Myers, Chelsea Lapp, Cindy Woebse 10:30 a.m.: Lynn Formica, Kathy Murphy, Mary Gersec A/B Flights 10 a.m.: Kathy Riisenberg, Connie D’Alessandro, Lenore Schulte 10:40 a.m.: Cathy Copeland, Linda Hudson, Marianne Albamont 10:50 a.m.: Lynne Caputo, Sandy Mancuso-Lopez, Yvonne Merck 11 a.m.: Cheryl Williams, Nancy Gogg, Cynde Modjeska 11:10 a.m.: Pat DeCicco, Linda DePuy, Francine Xavier 11:20 a.m.: Jackie Roudis, Marsha Weiss, Silvana Dudek 11:30 a.m.: Mary Furey, Jayne Bellamy, Theresa Keefe 11:40 a.m.: Marge Bennett, Linda Williams 11:50 a.m.: Colleen Martin, Helena Baldyga ——