Hardin Wins Women’s Senior Stroke Play
Waco: Mina Hardin of Fort Worth goes wire to wire to win 2021 Women’s Senior Stroke Play by two shots. Hardin entered the Final Round with a three-shot lead over the rest of the field and played solid golf to get the job done. After making bogey on her opening hole, the par-4 first hole, she quickly bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 second hole. Hardin went on to par six of her next seven holes and made the turn at 1-over-par for the day. The back nine got off to a strong start as Hardin made back-to-back birdies on the par-4 12th and par-3 13th. With the wind picking up and conditions becoming more difficult, Hardin hit a bump in her round with a pair of bogeys on the 14th and 15th and a double bogey on the par-3 16th. Hardin would settle down and make par on her final two holes to shoot 2-over par on the back, 3-over par on the day. Hardin’s Final Round 75, along with Wednesday’s 73 and Thursday’s 79 was enough to claim the title Friday afternoon with a tournament total 227, 11-over-par.
The Championship Division Super Senior Champion was Linda Light of Arlington. Light posted scores of 80-76-81. The Championship Division Legends Champion was Waco’s very own Nannette Wheelis. Wheelis, representing her home club of Ridgewood CC, carded scores of 81-86-85. The Super Senior Champion coming out of the Flights Division was Jan Rapp of Dallas who finished with scores of 85-85-84.
Leaderboard
1.Mina Hardin (73-79-75, 227)
2.Anna Morales (78-77-74, 229)
3.Linda Light (80-76-81, 237)
T4.Kelley Nittoli (82, 75, 82, 239)
T4.Joanna Staton (74, 82, 83, 239)
In Contention: Finishing runner-up was Anna Morales of Austin. Morales’ Final Round score of 74 was the low score of the day but wasn’t enough to overcome the three-shot deficit. She finished the tournament at 13-over-par 229 with scores of 78-77-74. In third place was Arlington’s Linda Light and in a tie for fourth place was Kelley Nittoli of San Antonio and Joanna Staton of McKinney.
Founders Cup: The Club at Falcon Point, located in Katy, took home this year’s Founders Cup. The Founders Cup is awarded to the club with the two lowest combined net scores from Round 1. Representing The Club at Falcon Point was Dora Daniluck, Annie Gonzales, and Lori Griffith. The club posted a net score of 1-under-par for Round 1. The scores to count included Griffith’s net 3-under-par 69 and Daniluk’s net 2-over-par 74.
Weather: Friday’s Final Round started with calm conditions and mostly cloudy skies before the sun started to break through in the afternoon. Along with the sun came a strong easter wind with gusts up to 30 mph. Temperatures during the final round were in the high 60’s and low 70’s.
Golf Course: Designed by Texan Ralph Plummer, Ridgewood opened for play in 1947. Plummer utilized the site’s natural features – rolling, wooded land overlooking Lake Waco – to create a classic layout that features narrow fairways, cavernous bunkers and exceptionally quick, undulating green complexes.
Next Up: Next on the TGA Women’s schedule is the Women’s Texas Pinehurst. This year’s championship will be played November 1-2 at Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course in Fredericksburg. Registration for the Women’s Texas Pinehurst will close on October 20 at 5:00 pm.
For more information on the Texas Golf Association, Women’s Events and more, please visit www.txga.org.