Warner, Hunt win 2nd straight title

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, August 24, 2006

BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Donna Warner and Roberta Hunt still compete against each other frequently on the golf course, as they have for years. But they like it better when they are teammates, as they have been this week.

The two good friends and top-ranked players had fun again yesterday as they cruised to their second straight Ocean State Women's Golf Association Four-Ball title, beating Judy Gravier and Linda DaRosa, 5 and 4, in the finals at Laurel Lane.

Hunt and Warner have been a team for three years now and have won twice and lost in the finals the other time.

"We're such good friends. We have a comfort level when we play," Hunt said. "Donna's as steady as they come. That makes it easy to play."

"You just have to know how to pick your partner," Warner said. "We know each other's game so well. We have fun when we play."

The two entered as big favorites in this one as DaRosa and Gravier both were making their first appearance in a state title match. Warner and Hunt never gave the underdogs a chance to get settled as they won two of the first three holes for a quick 2-up advantage and never gave up control.

Gravier and DaRosa hit the ball well, but struggled a bit around the greens and Hunt and Warner made them pay.

"We've never played in a match like this," Gravier said. "It was a good experience."

The foursome made it a pleasant day as they chatted amiably and regularly congratulated each other on good shots. Hunt and Warner simply kept running off pars, enough to allow them to steadily pull away.

"Roberta made me captain today, had me go first," Warner said. "Yesterday, I played well; today she played better."

With Warner and Hunt making so many pars, Gravier and DaRosa needed birdies to win holes and, while they had several good chances, they could not convert. Their only win came on the ninth, with a par by Gravier.

By that time, though, they were already four down. Warner got that one back with a par to win the 10th. The next three holes were halved before Hunt and Warner won 15 to close it out.

In the other divisions, Lynn Arnold and Nancy Steinmeyer topped Shirley Booth and Lucille Teft, 5 and 4, in the First Division and Luanne Goggins and Carolyn Brown beat Maureen Dion and Carol Cherry in the Second Division, 4 and 3.