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Success for Florida Women at Jones/Doherty

January 22, 2013

The 81st Ione D. Jones/ Doherty Women’s Amateur Championship and the 28th Ione D. Jones/ Doherty Women’s Senior Amateur Championship proved to be a good week for a handful of Florida women.  At the third championship in the Orange Blossom Tour that includes the Harder Hall Invitational, the South Atlantic Amateur (SALLY) and the Women’s International Four-Ball, the Jones/Doherty this past week had a strong field representing multiple states and countries.  The championship was hosted by Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 14-19.

In the amateur division, Marie Arnoux, of Miami Beach, enjoyed her long stay at Coral Ridge CC.  Arnoux advanced to the semi-finals on Friday after defeating fellow Floridian Tara Joy-Connelly of Palm Beach Gardens, 7&6.  Arnoux began the week of match play defeating Danielle Proctor 5&4, and then on Wednesday pulled through to win her match against Kelli Pry in 19 holes.  Arnoux is no rookie to match play.  In 2012 she finished runner-up to Meghan Stasi, of Oakland Park, in the Women’s Amateur Championship. 

Tara Joy-Connelly also had an outstanding week, just getting stopped by Arnoux in the quarter-finals.  Connelly first defeated another fellow Floridian, Liz Breza of Saint Augustine, 7&5.  She then too had a tougher Round of 16 match against Carolina Garrett of Miami, winning after 19 holes.   Marisa Messana, of Plantation, also advanced to quarter-finals.  Messana defeated Alex Stewart 4&3 in Round of 32 matches, and went on to defeat Daniela Lendi 5&4. 

Other Florida notables in the amateur division include Alexa Hammer of Boyton Beach and Ashley Burke of Boynton Beach, both advancing to Round of 16 matches.  Liz Breza and Radi Sauro, of Lake Worth also qualified for match play. 

The Ione D. Jones/ Doherty Women’s Senior Amateur Championship was stacked full of a highly competitive field of women as well.  Three Florida women, Mary Jane Hiestand of Naples, Allison Reifers of Jupiter, and Taffy Brower of Boynton Beach, all had an extremely successful week advancing to quarter-finals.  Hiestand, the 2012 Women’s Senior Player-of-the Year, has already had a very successful year.  She finished tied for 15th at the Harder Hall Invitational.  Allison Reifers started with a big victory of 6&5 over Beverly Hoffenburg, and then defeated US Women’s Senior Amateur semi-finalist Lisa Schlesinger, of Maryland, in Round of 16 matches, 1 Up.  Taffy Brower has had another successful start to her 2013 season, advancing to quarter-finals.  Brower advanced to the Round of 16 matches in the US Women’s Senior last year, and is the defending champion with Alexa Hammer of the upcoming Women’s International Four-Ball Championship.

Other Florida notables in the women’s senior division include Therese Quinn of Jacksonville and Diane Lang of Weston, both advanced to Round of 16 matches.  Also three women qualified for match play, Janice Wilson of Flagler Beach, Mindy Smith of Dunedin, and Lin McMillan of Palm Coast.