Regional women’s championship comes to Orchard course

By Mike Rego
mrego@eastbaynewspapers.com

The 47th edition of the New England Women’s Golf Association Championship graced the Sakonnet area earlier this week as the prestigious tournament came to the Newport National Golf Club’s Orchard Course on the Portsmouth-Middletown line.

The event, which dates back to 1957, brings together the region’s top women amateur golfers. Past winners of the tournament include Joann Carner, a two-time champ in the late ‘60s. Two East Bay products have claimed the silver cup. Martha Kirouac, in 1975, and Hall of Famer Julie Greene, in 1978, are past titlists from Rhode Island and R.I. Country Club. The last Ocean State resident to win was Lisa Griffin, of the Misquamicut Club, in 1994.

The reigning champion is Laura Shanahan-Rowe of New Hampshire. She is back to defend her crown. Shanahan-Rowe, Greene and former R.I. high school standout and current Furman University player Haley Gildea played in a threesome during Monday’s first round.

The top 70 players and ties in the field of 120 were expected to make the cut following Tuesday’s second 18 holes. The final round was set for Wednesday. Players gained entry into the tournament based on handicaps. Shanahan-Rowe is a scratch golfer.


Other locals in the event include Sakonnet native Karen Dufault, an Ocean State Women’s Golf Association board member who calls both Montaup Country Club and Newport National her home layouts, and Portsmouth’s Carolyn Woishek.

The OSWGA-sponsored R.I. Women’s Four-Ball Championship was more like a "three-ball" affair as the team of Segreganset’s Carol Cleary and Dufault won against the solo-flying Marisa White.

White’s partner, Brenda Nardolillo, was unable to break free from work or traffic in Boston to make last Thursday’s final round on time.

White put in a yeoman’s effort in her partner’s absence, but eventually lost the championship played at Triggs Golf Club in Providence by a 3-and-1 score.

In the First Division, Nikki Hartshorn of Triggs and Ann Olsen of Sea View in Warwick defeated Jean Maack and Carol Wilson, 2-up. The Triggs tandem of Kathy Clarkin-Luann Dias defeated Linda Paolozzi-Linda Tulino, 5-and-4, win claim the Second Division title.

Clarey’s woolly week on the links included an ace on the 128-yard, 14th hole. She used a 7-iron, during the Four-Ball Championship opening round, July 1, to accomplish the feat.