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Determined Warner & Cyronak get the late drop on the field |
BY ROBERT LEE
Though it wasn't easy, that's what they got. Trailing by three strokes through the front nine to a twosome that finished ahead of them at the OSWGA Team Championships -- Cheryl LaFontaine and Denise Turcotte -- Warner, playing out of Wanumetonomy, and Cyronak, the 2002 Rhode Island Female Golfer of the Year playing out of the West Warwick CC, pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory when Cyronak chipped in at 18 for a birdie and a one-shot victory. Cyronak said that even though a victory looked unlikely after the front nine, she and Warner stayed confident nonetheless as they shot a 2-under par on the back. "We kept saying that it was doable, and we won 11, parred 12, birdied 13, and they had problems on the 14th hole," Cyronak said. "We were even with two holes to play. We both parred the 17th hole and I chipped in for birdie on 18." Warner and Cyronak will be challenged by Carol Clarey and Karen Dufault, who also posted a one-stroke victory over Val Blinn and Lori DiPersio by winning the 18th hole, in today's semifinals. The two squads will tee-off at 7:38 a.m. "We had a good match today," Clarey said. "We had them down three after the front nine and they came back to within one." But that's when Clarey did something that she has never done in her 27-years of golfing. She carded a hole-in-one on the par-3 14th to give her and Dufault a two-stroke lead. "Val (Blinn) had hit a shot about six feet from the flag and I said, 'Boy, I'd better get the ball inside hers," Clarey said. "I took a seven-iron, choked down on it and made a nice easy swing. Right off the club face I knew that it was a good shot and it held its line perfect. It took a bounce and went straight in." Blinn and DiPersio eventually knotted the match, but Clarey and Dufault took the 18th and the victory. Clarey and Dufault are looking forward to challenging Warner and Cyronak. "We have faith in each other," Clarey said. "We compliment each other's game," said Dufault. Warner and Cyronak look forward to the challenge. "We'll do the best we can do," Cyronak said. Portsmouth High School standout Carolyn Woishek and teammate Shannon Betty, of North Kingstown, posted an easy 7 and 6 victory over Trudy Dufault and Pat Malone to also reach the semifinals. Woishek and Betty will tee off against veterans Marisa White and Brenda Nardolillo, who beat Cissy Grady and Elaine Crawford, 4 and 2. CHAMPIONSIP DIVISION Woishek-Betty def. T. Dufault-Malone, 7 & 6; White-Nardolillo def. Grady-Crawford, 4 & 2; Warner-Cyronak def. LaFontaine-Turcotte, 1 up; Clarey-K. Dufault def. Blinn-DiPersio, 1 up. FIRST DIVISION Schold-Lavoie def. Bowen-Duarte, 4 & 3; Maack-Wilson def. Diemoz-Fandetti, 4 & 3; Davis-Parente def. Lisa-Paris, 7 & 6; Hartshorn-Olson def. St. Pierre-Charles, 1 up. SECOND DIVISION DeStefanis-Kim def. O'Neil-Vincent, 2 up; Paolozzi-Tullino def. Tobin-Benson, 7 & 6; Clarkin-Dias def. Rogers-Roche, 4 and 3; Oliveira-Correia def. Korber-Conti, 1 up. TODAY'S TEE TIMES Championship Division 7:30 a.m. -- Woishek-Betty vs. White-Nardolillo; 7:38 a.m. Warner-Cyronak vs. Clarey-K. Dufault. First Division 7:46 a.m. -- Schold-Lavoie vs. Maack-Wilson; 7:54 a.m. -- Davis-Parente vs. Hartshorn-Olson. Second Division 8:02 a.m. -- DeStefanis-Kim vs. Paolozzi-Tullino; 8:10 a.m. Clarkin-Dias vs. Oliveira-Correia.
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