|
White lightning strikes twice |
|
BY PAUL KENYON
It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the week. Marisa White already is assured of being one of the big winners in this year's Ocean State Women's Golf Association Amateur Championship. White earned medalist honors in the tournament yesterday, shooting even-par 35 on the front nine en route to a 78 at Newport National. That was just good enough to lead the 75-player field, as five others were bunched within two shots of her. Cissy Grady, Amber Weller and Carol Clarey all posted 79s, and Valerie Blinn and Donna Warner recorded 80s. Normally, becoming the medalist in a match-play tournament is not overly important. In this case, though, it meant a lot. The medalist earns 500 points in the season-long point totals kept by the OSWGA to determine its representative to the state team matches, to be held by the United States Golf Association next month at Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club. Thanks to a series of strong tournaments over the past two years, White led the points race entering the Amateur. The 500 points she earned as medalist gives her an insurmountable lead, a guaranteed spot at the nationals. "I didn't even know that until Brenda (Nardolillo, the association president) just told me," White said. "That's nice." It was a great finish to a beautiful day for White. The West Warwick native, who plays out of Triggs and lives in Narragansett, has been able to play a lot of golf this summer primarily because she has to work so hard the rest of the year. She is the executive director of the joint committee on legislative services, working directly with Speaker of the House William Murphy. "It's been a challenge," White said of her new job. She has been charged with cutting back staff, thus saving taxpayers money. While some progress has been made, it is not a task that is easily accomplished. "I have to give those people credit. They work hard," she said of the legislators. "Living in Narragansett, it has meant some 15-hour days for me." Yesterday, the only one she had to worry about was herself. And that was a tough job, too. It started very well. She had seven pars, one bogey (the first hole) and one bird (7) on the way to a 35 on the front side. But she found herself beginning to think about her score rather than focusing on each shot. On the back nine she had three double bogeys. A friend, Fran O'Brien, who caddied for her, spoke to her about what she was doing. "I realized I was playing conservatively. I was taking myself right out of my game mentally," she said. "Fran is smart with management on the golf course." White squared herself away in time to birdie 17, where she hit a four-iron to four feet, and to par 18, exactly what she needed to earn the medal and the spot in the nationals. She draws a tough assignment in the opening round. She meets Beth Costello, who beat her in the first round of this tournament last year. White, with her 35-43 scorecard, was not alone in getting off to a great start but then struggling on the way in. Weller and Grady both went 37-42 for their 79s, while Clarey went 36-43. Almost all the leaders agreed that the higher scorers on the back nine had more to do with the players than the course. Weller was typical. She three-putted three times on the back nine. Weller, who plays out of Woodland Greens, is working in the pro shop at Point Judith this summer. She attends Savannah, Ga., College of Art and Design and has become so interested in golf that she is considering it as a career. "I'm looking into getting into landscape architecture, maybe designing golf courses. I want to be involved in the golf business somehow," she said. She had only played Newport National once before yesterday. She gave the Arthur Hills-designed course her full approval, despite her putting woes. "It is one of my favorite courses in the state," she said. "I love it. It's a really great golf course. It's really pretty." The 16 qualifiers for the championship division did not include Shannon Betty, the defending champion. Betty had problems with club selection -- "I kept going over greens," she said -- and shot 89, meaning she will play in the first division. Betty is a recent Prout grad who is headed to South Florida this fall. Marisa White, Triggs 35-43 -- 78 Carol Clarey, Segregansett 36-43 -- 79 Amber Weller, Pt. Judith 37-42 -- 79 Cissy Grady, Quidnessett 37-42 -- 79 Valerie Blinn, Crestwood 36-44 -- 80 Donna Warner, Wanumetonomy 41-39 -- 80 Pat Malone, Montaup 44-38 -- 82 Nancy Diemoz, Montaup 41-41 -- 82 Jennifer Hendrick, Exeter 41-43 -- 84 Beverly Brown, Foster/Valley 41-43 -- 84 Geri Lisa, Triggs 41-43 -- 84 Elaine Crawford, Green Valley 44-42 -- 86 Beth Ellinwood, Foster 41-45 -- 86 Carol Beaudette, Alpine 44-43 -- 87 Shannon Betty, N. Kingstown 43-44 -- 87 Beth Costello, Segregansett 42-45 -- 87 Leann Cesario, Newport Natl. 43-44 -- 87 Sue Reavey, Louisquisset 42-46 -- 88 Judy Duarte, Segregansett 44-44 -- 88 Lynne Fandetti, Montaup 43-45 -- 88 Trudy Dufault, Montaup 43-46 -- 89 Karen Dufault, Montaup 39-50 -- 89 Brenda Nardolillo, Newport Natl. 46-43 -- 89 Mary Jo Buckley, Montaup 44-46 -- 90 Liz Lavoie, N. Kingstown 45-45 -- 90 Audrey Correia, Montaup 45-45 -- 90 Kerry Bowen, Segregansett 42-49 -- 91 Judy Gravier, BAGS 46-46 -- 92 Linda Darosa, Triggs 43-50 -- 93 Vicki Johnson, Green Valley 44-49 -- 93 Ellie Conti, Triggs 46-47 -- 93 Carol Wilson, Laurel Lane 45-49 -- 94 Jeanne Oliveira, Montaup 48-47 -- 95 Sharon Rickard, Swansea 45-50 -- 95 Kathy Tiberii, Country View 45-50 -- 95 Katherine Murphy, Wanumetonomy 49-47 -- 96 Jesse Toland, Newport 46-51 -- 97 Valerie Tessier, Alpine 47-50 -- 97 Clara Andrade, Montaup 49-49 -- 98 Brenda Paris, Triggs 47-52 -- 99 Kathryn Clarkin, Triggs 49-51 -- 100 Rochelle Tolley, Pine Valley 47-53 -- 100 Susan Korber, Triggs 50-50 -- 100 Jean Maack, Laurel Lane 48-53 -- 101 Janet Keene, Country View 53-48 -- 101 Carolyn Zapella, Country View 50-52 -- 102 Bev Worrall, Valley 49-53 -- 102 Brenda Martin, Country View 48-54 -- 102 Amanda Parker, Alpine 55-48 -- 103 Gail McGovern, Fall River 51-52 -- 103 Prudence Sellars, Amelia Island 50-54 -- 104 Kyong Kim, Triggs 49-55 -- 104 Laine White, Alpine 49-55 -- 104 Barbara O'Neil, Triggs 49-55 -- 104 Robin Haffner, Montaup 48-57 -- 105 Elaine Shanley, Laurel Lane 55-51 -- 106 Judy Villani, Swansea 53-53 -- 106 Janina McCloskey, Swansea 53-54 -- 107 Diane Dugal, Fall River 55-52 -- 107 Nancy Pollock, Wanumetonomy 54-54 -- 108 Margaret Manchester, Swansea 54-54 -- 108 Ann DeSteffanis, Triggs 53-56 -- 109 Ellen Gitleman, Potowomut 53-57 -- 110 Teresa Eagan, Woodland Greens 54-56 -- 110 Joan Jackson, Montaup 57-53 -- 110 Jackie Benson, Pinehurst 57-54 -- 111 Mary Ann MacLaughlin, N. Kingstown 52-60 -- 112 Rosemary Richardson, Woodland Greens 53-61 -- 114 Lucy Rainho, Rohoboth 53-61 -- 114 Mel Palumbo, Country View 58-56 -- 114 Patty D'Ambrosio, Alpine 56-60 -- 116 Dena Marchetti, Glocester 57-62 -- 119 Daphne Iacobo, Green Valley 60-64 -- 124 Terry Thornton, Midville 60-60 -- 124 Nancy Noonan, Wanumetonomy 66-59 -- 125 Joan Manzo, Midville 62-65 -- 127 Gloria Nangle, Glocester 59-57 -- 116 Jill Meschino, Triggs 57-71 -- 128 Sandra Cross, Segregansett WD TODAY'S MATCHES CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION 7:30 -- White vs. Costello; 7:36 -- Malone vs. Brown; 7:42 -- Clarey vs. Ellinwood; 7:48 -- Warner vs. Crawford; 7:54 -- Weller vs. Cesario; 8:00 -- Diemoz vs. Hendrick; 8:06 -- Grady vs. Beaudette; 8:12 -- Blinn vs. Lisa. FIRST DIVISION 8:18 -- Betty vs. Wilson; 8:24 -- Correia vs. Lavoie; 8:32 -- Revey vs. Conti; 8:42 -- Duarte vs. Darosa; 8:48 -- K. Dufault vs. Buckley; 8:54 -- Fandetti vs. Johnson; 9:00 -- T. Dufault vs. Bowen. SECOND DIVISION 9:06 -- Oliveira vs. Maritn; 9:12 -- Paris vs. Korber; 9:18 -- Murphy vs. Maack; 9:24 -- Tessier vs. Keene; 9:30 -- Tiberii vs. Worrall; 9:36 -- Andrade vs. Tolley; 9:42 -- Rickard vs. Zappella; 9:48 -- Toland vs. Clarkin. THIRD DIVISION 9:54 -- Parker vs. Eagan; 10:00 -- Shanley vs. Villani; 10:06 -- Kim
vs. Pollock; 10:12 -- O'Neil vs. Manchester; 10:18 -- McGovern vs. Jackson;
10:24 -- Haffner vs. Dugal; 10:30 -- Sellers vs. DeStefanis; 10:36 --
L. White vs. McCloskey. |