Despite a steady wind, there was not a cloud in the sky at Belleair Country Club as the top senior women teed it up for two rounds of tough competition. After round one there was a tight race at the top of the leaderboard in the Championship Division. Mary Jane Hiestand, two-time winner of the Championship in 2013 and 2014, took the early lead and never moved from that position. Hiestand, of Naples, posted a first round of two over-par, 74 to lead Gigi Higgins, of Cape Coral, by one stroke. Higgins and Hiestand posted the same score in round two, 83, but Hiestand’s first round kept her in first place with a 157 tournament total. Hiestand commented on her second round stating, “ I just never got my rhythm today and struggled in the wind.
Yesterday my tempo was so much better and it seemed so easy to play the course as it was meant to be played." Tied for second, at a tournament total of 158, were Gigi Higgins and Sydney Wells. Marion Reid and Sarah Phillips-Durst had two identical days on the golf course both posting rounds of 81-78 to tie for fourth place with Therese Quinn who simply reversed the scores, 78-81, for a tournament total 159.
In the Super-Senior Championship Divison, Patricia Hughes-Gelardi, of Palm Beach Gardens, won by seven strokes after rounds of 77-92 for a tournament total 169. Patricia was the only score in the 70’s in her division after round one and she never let the lead out of her sight! Kathy Baker and Nancy Jackson finished tied for second with a 176 tournament total. This marks Hughes-Gelardi’s first FSGA Championship win!
Gross & Net Winners
Senior Field Division
Gross: Meredith Blinn – 85-81—166
Net: Gilda Perez – 74-81—155
Senior Field First Flight
Gross: Janelle Fairgrieve – 88-88—176 tied Mary Lou Edwards – 86-90—176
Net: Debi Wohlers – 68-78—146
Super-Senior Field Division
Gross: Paula Boulette – 84-87—171
Net: Kathy Auriemma – 72-70—142
Super-Senior Field First Flight
Gross: Pat Takacs – 88-91—179
Net: June Gilley – 75-74—149
