34th Women’s Senior Stroke Play Heads to San Angelo
SAN ANGELO– Bentwood Country Club will be the host site for the 34th Women’s Senior Stroke Play, the second to last event of the year on the Women’s schedule conducted by the Texas Golf Association. The 54-hole championship, which features the state’s top amateur golfers aged 50 and older, will be held Sept. 18-20.
“We are so excited to bring this event to Bentwood Country Club,” said Amy Worthington, TGA’s Director of Women’s Operations. “It’s a fantastic venue for our ladies to come compete at and allows them to see one of the premiere TGA Member Clubs in West Texas.”
This championship has seen many highly accomplished players come away victorious. The 2023 field is no different as a multitude of players with impressive resumes will look to add to their illustrious careers.
The following player profiles have been created as a preview of some of the top storylines coming into this year’s championship.
►Anna Schultz, 68, of Heath, is one of the most accomplished golfers in the state and a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame since 2013. A three-time winner of this event, Schultz captured the USGA’s 2007 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur title. Her resume would put any golfer in awe as it features incredible success at the local, state, and national level. Last year, Schultz earned co-honors for being the low Super Senior in the field.
►Mina Hardin, 63, of Fort Worth, is a two-time winner of this event. Most notably, Hardin’s resume includes a win at the USGA’s 2010 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur. A five-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion and a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012, Hardin’s career also features a runner-up finish at the USGA’s 2001 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
►Marian Barker, 69, of Lubbock, is back in the field this year after earning Super Senior co-honors last year. The four-time winner of this event will look to capture the title for a fifth time. Her most recent victory was in 2020. A highlight of Barker’s impressive career is advancing to the match play rounds of the USGA’s U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur in 2004, ’09, and ’16.
►Kelley Nittoli, 60, of San Antonio, finished runner up in last year’s championship at 11-under total. Nittoli, who played for a short stint on the LPGA Tour right after college, is married to Jim Nittoli, Director of Golf at San Antonio Country Club. Nittoli’s impressive playing history also features advancing to match play at the USGA’s U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur in 2022.
In 2022, Magnolia’s Marilyn Hardy became a two-time champion of this event as she finished the championship at 9-over 225 total. She bested Nittoli by two strokes at Arlington’s Shady Valley Country Club.
Bentwood Country Club, host of this year’s championship, has been expertly designed by William P. Martindale, (noted golf architect and former touring professional). Penalty areas and numerous bunkers are strategically placed to give the 6,932 yard course a challenging unique character. The par-72 West Texas gem first opened in 1979.
The 16 players with the lowest Handicap Indexes® at the Women’s Senior Stroke Play will be required to play from the Championship Tees (approx. 5500-5700 yards). All other players may select which tees they wish to play from – the Championship Tees or the Flights Tees (approx. 5100-5300 yards). Upon completion of Round 2, the field will be broken into flights based on 36-hole scores.
Live scoring updates, daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available on the TGA website once the action is underway from Bentwood Country Club.
For more information on the 34th Women’s Senior Stroke Play, click here.