Fun is the order of the day at the Ocean State 4-Ball

01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 28, 2005

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

HOPKINTON -- It's a tradition.

Montaup Country Club's mother and daughter tandem of Trudy and Karen Dufault team up with Green Valley's Elaine Crawford every year for the Ocean State Women's Golf 4-Ball Championships.

This year was no different, but they needed a fourth so Trudy e-mailed Segregansett Club member Carol Clarey, who jumped at the opportunity to play in the foursome.

With Clarey and Trudy Dufault's excellent short game, and Crawford and Karen Dufault hitting long drives, it turned out to be a perfect team. The foursome fired the low gross score of the event, a 103, to capture the 2005 OSWGA 4-Ball Team Championship title at Fenner Hill.

"It was a total team effort," Karen Dufault said. "We all contributed equally. It was a good day."

"I thought the course was in great shape and this is a great venue for the team championships," Trudy Dufault said. "We had a few birdies and only had a couple of hiccups."

The winners edged Cissy Grady and Kim Schold, both of Quidnessett, and teammates Marisa White (Triggs) and Donna Warner (Wanumetonomy) by two strokes.

"We putted for birdie on every hole but only made a couple," Grady said.

Segregansett Country Club's team of Sandra Cross, Judy Duarte, Wendy Jacobson, and Karen Marcos came in third with a gross score of 109.

The Championships were played under the "2 best balls" rule over the first nine holes, and scramble format on the back nine. Under the "2 best balls" rule, the lowest two scores of the round are recorded. Under the scramble format, on every hole, each team member hits the ball off the tee. The team then selects the best tee shot from which to play. All members of the team then hit from there. For each shot, the three players whose ball is not selected will play the next shot until the ball is putted in.

"This is a fun format, and having fun is what it's all about," Clarey said. "With the New England Championships and the State Amateur coming up, this was a great event to have to just go out there and have fun. We had 132 participants today and everyone had fun."

Karen got things going for the winners when she rolled in a short putt for birdie on the par-4 first hole. Clarey had a birdie putt on the par-5 third, and she sank a short putt for birdie on the par-3 sixth.

After the turn, the team recorded birdie putts on holes 11 and 16.

"I had a great time," said Karen Dufault. "The hills made it a challenging course."

Fall River Country Club's team of Ellen Stensing-Woods, Kathleen McKenna, Angie Gastall and Allen McInnis earned the Championship Division low net title with a score of 82. That was four strokes better than the Triggs foursome of Donna DeBlasio, Terry Kling, Linda Paolozzi, and Geri Lisa.

In the A-Division, Barbara Dubois (Cranston CC), Lorraine DeGenova (Cranston CC), Susan Haake (Segregansett CC), and Leony Hartig (Swansea CC) took home the low gross title with a 119.

They were followed by Pequot Country Club's Natalie Parise, Linday Murphy, and Pat Hochman, and Annie Krysta of Winnapaug (122). West Warwick's Ann Hoguld, Kathy Chorney, Anna Lizak and Donna Reynolds shot an 82 for the low net title in Division A.

CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

Low Gross

Trudy Dufault, Karen Dufault, Carol Clarey, Elaine Crawford -- 103; Cissy Grady, Kim Schold, Marisa White, Donna Warner -- 105; Sandra Cross, Judy Duarte, Wendy Jacobson, Karen Macros -- 109.

Low Net

Ellen Stensing-Woods, Kathleen McKenna, Angie Gastall, Ellen McInnis -- 82; Donna DeBlasio, Terry Kling, Linda Paolozzi, Geri Lisa -- 86; Lynn Arnold, Mary Lou Sevigny, Jeanne Mattley, Susan Munroe -- 88.

A DIVISION

Low Gross

Barbara Dubois, Lorraine DeGenova, Susan Haake, Leony Hartig -- 119; Natalie Parise, Annie Krysta, Linda Murphy, Pat Hochman -- 122; Cahterine Dionne, Debbie Creta, Athena Sullivan, Gail Sullivan -- 122.

Low Net

Ann Hoglund, Kathy Chorney, Ann Lizak, Donna Reynolds -- 82; Janet Keene, Mel Palombo, Stella Houle, Jackie Dufresne -- 85; Jackie Sweet, Sue Day, Alice Hawthorne, Sharon Nowicki -- 85.