Pennington eyes Ulster County threepeat
Amber Pennington headlines the field in 60th annual Ulster County tourney
Amber Pennington, less than a month away from her 16th birthday, is getting sentimental about the Ulster County Women’s Golf Association tournament as she takes aim at a third consecutive championship.
“This is kind of where I started. This was my first three-day tournament,” Pennington said. “It would be an honor to win this again. I remember the first time I walked in for the first tournament and there were all these female golfers from Ulster County — players of different levels and ages.
“It was incredible, just the social part of it. To be playing in this 30 years from now would be amazing.”
The UCWGA’s 60th annual event begins 9 a.m. Friday at the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club. The tourney moves to New Paltz Golf Course on Saturday with the first and second flights starting at 8:30. Sunday’s final round is at Woodstock Golf Club.
The first threesome teeing off Friday features Pennington with two-time champion
Ellen Densen and threetime champion Kim Hines. Densen, the reigning three-time Ulster County Senior Golf Association champ, was runner-up in the open event last year. Diane Myers placed third and Hines was fourth.
“I always look forward to playing with Ellen,” Pennington noted. “I’ve definitely learned a lot from her, just from her consistent play.”
Pennington led by one stroke after the first round last year and turned it into a runaway with a 1-under 69 at Lazy Swan.
She caddied for her dad, Martin, when the second round of the Ulster County Men’s Amateur (Herdegen) was held at Lazy Swan last month. She played New Paltz with friends two weeks ago.
With Rondout Golf Club currently closed, Pennington has been taking advantage of a Junior Sponsorship membership at Wiltwyck.
“It’s a great facility,” she said, feeling that the level of play required to play Wiltwyck has prepared her for tougher courses.
Pennington closed out her sophomore year at Rondout Valley High by winning the Section 9 title and placing ninth in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tourney. She just missed the cut in the state Junior Tournament.
A victory would make Pennington the first player to win the Ulster County crown three years in a row since Ingrid Narken’s run of four straight in 2005-08.
Narken and four-time champion Heidi Jewett (1993-95, 2004) will be attending Sunday’s awards banquet.
During the banquet, Kingston High’s Kelly Manley and Madeleine Mood from Onteora will receive the Ulster County Female Scholarship/ Paul DeLisio Foundation awards.
A new UCWGA plaque with the names of the past 23 champions will be unveiled and presented to Paul DeLisio to be displayed at Woodstock Golf Course for this year. Each year a new Champion plate will be added to the plaque and displayed at the last course played each year in their pro shop. TEE TIMES Friday At Lazy Swan Championship Flight 9:00 a.m. — Amber Pennington, Kim Hines, Ellen Densen 9:10 a.m. — Diane Myers, Kathy Murphy, Chelsea Lapp 9:20 a.m. — Cindy Woebse, Lynne Formica, Cynde Modjeska 9:30 a.m. — Brooke Bode, Mary Gersec, Emily Jacobsen, Pat Marlow