Warner, Hunt get it right second time
01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, August 25, 2005
EXETER -- When Donna Warner and Roberta Hunt
earned a chance to dethrone Carol Clarey and Karen Dufault at last year's Ocean
State Women's Golf Association Four-Ball Championship, the duo put up a valiant
fight, forcing eight extra holes before falling to the defending champions at
Swansea Country Club.
Given another opportunity
yesterday, Warner and Hunt left nothing to chance, as they took an early lead
and never shot worse than par, defeating Clarey and Dufault, 2 and 1, to claim
the State Four-Ball crown as darkness fell on Exeter Country Club.
"This is really the
highlight of our summer," said Warner, as her partner headed home to get
some rest before taking off for Kattansett Country Club to play in a qualifying
round for the U.S. Women's Seniors tomorrow morning. "Last year, we had so
many opportunities on the last eight or nine holes and just couldn't make it.
So we just went out today and said we would do whatever we had to do on every
hole, and it worked."
Warner and Hunt had to wait a
couple of hours before getting another shot at Clarey and Dufault. While they
made relatively good time in advancing to the finals with their 1-up victory
over Valerie Blinn and Felicia Revens, Clarey and Dufault found themselves
entrenched in another marathon match against Kibbe Reilly and Jen Hendrick that
went to seven extra holes and lasted more than 6 hours.
Warner and Hunt weren't sure
whether the long break would be a blessing or a curse.
"Karen and Carol had to
play a long second match, which is an advantage in a way because we did have
time to rest," said Warner. "But sometimes you can lose your focus
and kind of relax. We had just won a big match, beating Valerie and Felicia,
and we didn't want to come down from that."
The rest apparently was a plus
for Hunt, who got her team off to a great start with back-to-back birdies on
the third and fourth holes that put them 2 up.
Clarey, who sank some
tremendous putts to help clinch the semifinal match, put her tee shot about 3
1/2 feet from the cup and sank the putt for birdie to win the fifth hole for
her team.
But Hunt answered with another
birdie on six and Warner won seven with par to go 3 up.
Hunt got up and down from
behind a bunker to a tight pin on the 10th to put her team up by 4 for their
biggest lead of the round.
With the golfers quickly
running out of daylight, Dufault parred 13 and sank a 20-footer for birdie on
16 to cut it to 2, but that's as close as she and Clarey would get.
"Roberta shot a 37 on the
front, which was even par," said Warner. "When you get up on them
early, it gives you a little leeway, a little breathing room. That's what we
did in the morning against Val and Felicia, too. It was a long day, but it was
a great match. It really is an honor to win this."
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
SEMIFINALS -- Donna
Warner-Roberta Hunt def. Valerie Blinn-Felicia Revens, 1 up; Carol Clarey-Karen
Dufault def. Kibbe Reilly-Jen Hendrick, 25 holes. FINAL -- Warner-Hunt def.
Clarey-Dufault, 2 and 1.
FIRST DIVISION
SEMIFINALS -- Shirley
Booth-Lucille Tefft def. Nikki Hartshorn-Ann Olson, 1 up; Linda DaRosa-Judy
Gravier def. Cynthia Prayzner-Coralie Oliveira, 2 and 1. FINAL --
DaRosa-Gravier def. Booth-Tefft, 2 and 1.
SECOND DIVISION
SEMIFINALS -- Sandra
Harper-Betth Shadeck def. Geri Lisa-Sue Korber, 19 holes; Ann DeStefanis-Kyong
Kim def. Ellen Woods-Kathleen McKenna, 2 and 1. FINAL -- Harper-Shadeck def.
DeStefanis-Kim, 4 and 2.
THIRD DIVISION
Anne Drescher-Kathy Mis def.
Ann Perlow-Christine Provost, 6 and 5; Mary Ann MacLaughlin-Val Tessier def.
Randi Brouillard-Susan Short, 3 and 2. FINAL -- Drescher-Mis def.
MacLaughlin-Tessier, 2 and 1.
FOURTH DIVISION
SEMIFINALS -- Carol Cherry-Maureen
Dion def. Janina McCloskey-Judy Villani, 7 and 5; Gail Scowcroft-Nancy Rainone
def. Stephanie Rego-Jill Meschino, 6 and 4. FINAL -- Cherry-Dion def.
Scowcroft-Rainone, 1