|
Men and women come together with better than Mixed results |
BY CAROLYN THORNTON
But any talk about inclusion or exclusion was put on hold yesterday at the Swansea Country Club. Instead, it was all about harmonious coexistence on the links, as husbands and wives, fellow club members, longtime golfing partners and other "signficant others" joined forces at the Ocean State Women's Golf Association's Mixed Team Championship. Teams of four -- two men and two women -- competed in the best-ball tournament. The low score of the two men and the low score of the two women on each hole were added together to arrive at a team total. Playing under overcast skies and soggy conditions, Cheryl LaFontaine and Joe Fogarty, both of Triggs, and Karen Dufault and Ron Price, both of Montaup, teamed up for the second year in a row. After finishing second last spring, they did one better this time around, shooting a combined 1-over-par 145 to take first low gross in the A Division. The golfers said they enjoyed the rare opportunity to compete in a mixed event. "Actually, you have more fun," said Fogarty. "You can't swear, though . . . unless they swear first." "And that is usually the case," added LaFontaine. There was some good-natured ribbing: "The ladies had to pick up the slack for a while," said LaFontaine with a smile. Followed by plenty of pats on the back: "No. It was just a team effort," she was quick to add. "We all worked off of one another very nicely." Price, whose late wife Nathalie co-founded the OSWGA with Trudy Dufault eight years ago, didn't hesitate to give credit to the rest of his teammates. "It was because of them," he said. "I just went along for the ride. They all played quite well today." "He sank some clutch putts," LaFontaine insisted. "Everybody's trying, you can see that," said Fogarty. "I think it's between shots that the team has a good time. If you miss a shot, everybody laughs about it . . . after we swear." LaFontaine, who has teamed up with Fogarty to win the RIGA State Mixed Tournament and Triggs Mixed Tournament in the past, has found that her game improves when she plays with Fogarty. "I think I play better when Joe's in the group," she said. "He just keeps an eye on me, makes sure I'm choosing the right club. I ask him a lot of questions all the time, and he's very supportive." It is the team aspect of the event, rather than the fact that men and women are playing together, that presents the biggest challenge in mixed tournaments, say Fran O'Brien and Marisa White, members of last year's winning quartet and this year's runner-up squad. "Any time you go out and play, it's always you against the golf course," said White, a member at Triggs. "But in a team event, there's a little bit more pressure to do well because everyone's counting on you." "If I go out to play in some tournament on my own and I don't play well, I lose. I let myself down and that's the way it goes," added O'Brien, who belongs to Metacomet. "(Yesterday), if I didn't play well, our team loses." But yesterday, O'Brien and White both came through for their team, which also included Montaup members Nancy Diemoz and Jesse Furtado. O'Brien and Furtado shot a combined even par for the day, while White and Diemoz finished 4-over-par for a team total of 148. Carol Clarey and Bob Fontes teamed up with fellow Segregansett members Judy and Bob Duarte to take low net at 13-under 131. Catherine Scott and Paul Machado, both out of Pine Valley, and Debbie and Neil Benharris, of Fall River Country Club, took low gross in the B Division with a combined score of 171. West Warwick Country Club's Ann and William Lizak, partnered with Seaview's Maureen Dion and Kevin Carter to take first net at 129. A DIVISION GROSS -- Karen Dufault-Ron Price-Cheryl LaFontaine-Joe Fogarty, 145; Nancy Diemoz-Jesse Furtado-Marisa White-Fran O'Brien, 148; Linda Albamonti-Keeny Mernick-Barbara Davis-Brian DeCarlo, 152. NET -- Carol Clarey-Bob Fontes-Judy Duarte-Bob Duarte, 131 (matching cards); Kris Kennedy-Archie Boulet-Pat Bisbano-Rick Desilet, 131; Carol Wilson-Stephen Arnold-Jean Maack-Stephen Kenyon, 136. B DIVISION GROSS -- Catherine Scott-Paul Machado-Debbie Benharris-Neil Benharris, 171; Kyong Kim-Joseph Kim-Young Ok-Dong Ok, 172 (matching cards); Linda Thibideau-Roger Thibideau-Gail Sullivan-James Sullivan, 172. NET -- Ann Lizak-William Lizak-Maureen Dion-Kevin Carter, 129; Wanda Hopper-Jim Hopper-Rochelle Tolley-Raymond Tolley, 133; Brenda Martin-Wayne Martin-Monique Boyajian-Bart Boyajian, 134.
|