Pennington defends women’s crown
Pennington, 14, defends Ulster County women’s title with 14-shot victory over runner-up Densen
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Amber Pennington, a month shy of her 15th birthday, repeated as Ulster County Women’s Golf Association champion Sunday.
The soon-to-be Rondout Valley High sophomore shot an 87 at Wiltwyck Golf Club to finish the three-day event with a 78-69-87—234 to win by 14 strokes. It was the same margin she had heading into the final round.
She won by nine last year when she became the UCWGA’s youngest titlist at age 13.
Ellen Densen shot the day’s best round with an 86 and overtook Diane Myers on the final hole to take second place with a 79-83-86—148, Myers was third with an 83-78-88—249.
Kim Hines, who also posted an 86 Sunday, took fourth overall in the Championship Flight with an 82-83-86—251. She was followed by Chelsea Lapp (89-86-91—266) and Kathy Murphy (9976-95—270). Cindy Woebse was seventh, while Lynn Formica took eighth and Mary Gersec ninth.
Linda Hudson won the First Flight championship, defeating Francine Xavier by 10 strokes. Linda DePuy was third and Cynde Modjeska placed fourth.
The Second Flight title went to Sandy Mancuso-Lopez, who edged Jackie Roudis by two shots and Silvana Dudek by four. Lynne Caputo and Marge Bennett tied for fourth.
The course proved tricky for the 34-player field with only Densen and Hines within a
dozen strokes of the par 74.
“The greens weren’t as fast as they usually are and I couldn’t adjust,” Densen said. “I kept coming up short with my chips and was short with my putts.”
“This course is pretty long and is just unique. You find yourself in trouble when you don’t expect, And I wasn’t swinging well. I was just trying to keep it in play,” Pennington said. “I don’t think I’ve broken 80 here. I shot a 2-over 39 in a (nine-hole) school match, but I haven’t really played 18 holes here in a competition.
“It was really a toll on the emotions, just because I’m not a mature player yet,”
she added. “I just have to stick to my guns and say, ‘Don’t do that. Hit a driver here, because it could sprial out of control easily considering where the ball was going.”
Densen had three birdies on the front nine, including one on the par-5 second hole while Pennington and Myers each had bogeys. A drive on the third hole hit a tree and was lost, leading to a triple-bogey. She came back, though, to record birdies on 5, 8 and 17.
“Not bad, a four-birdie day,” Densen remarked. “I’ve never come in second. I’ve won and I’ve come in third.”
The birdie on 17 allowed Densen to catch Myers, who then bogeyed 18. Densen’s putt for par gave her second place. Had she bogeyed, Myers would been the runnerup
on a match of cards.
Pennington bogeyed three of the first four holes to start the day, but quickly settled down for four consecutive pars. She had such a big lead that not even six bogeys and a 7 on the par-3 16th could dent the margin. She finished on the par-4, 260-yard 18 with her best effort: a drive to the base of the green, a short chip and a medium putt.
“What a terrific young player,” Densen remarked. “She’s got a great future.”
Pennington was thrilled with the 1-under 69 in Saturday’s second round at Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club and is looking forward to returning — and defending — her county title.
“I have a long way to go and I don’t have a lot of time, because I go to college in
three years, so I got to cram in these 69s now,” she said.
The three-day UCWGA tournament also served as a big tuneup for Pennington in the New York State Junior Amateur Championship Tuesday and Wednesday at the Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton. State junior rules prevent her from having a caddy, which her dad Martin had served as this weekend.
“This is really just trying to get me ingrained so I can do what I do on my own for the New York State Junior,” she said. Even if her dad is not right beside her, Pennington has heard him often enough that she can hear his reactions inside her head.
“I’m going to try and focus on the positive things that he says, because those are the things that really let me score well,” she noted.