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Costello, Blinn get the breaks they need, reach semifinals |
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 BY PAUL KENYON
Beth Costello and Valerie Blinn have decided to play golf. Lots of golf. They not only enjoy it, they are very good at it. The two recent grads both advanced yesterday to the quarterfinals of the Ocean State Women's Golf Association Amateur with impressive victories at Newport National. Costello pulled off the first-round's big upset, eliminating medalist Marisa White, 2 and 1, in an up-and-down contest. Blinn turned in the strongest performance of the day, going 1-over-par as she topped Geri Lisa of Triggs, 7 and 6. The opening day of matches, which began in heavy rain and ended in beautiful sunshine, offered a bit of everything. Beverly Brown, a physician and one of the tournament's veterans, registered the most exciting victory, rolling in an 18-foot birdie putt on the final green to nip Pat Malone, 1 up. Brown was not alone in scoring one for the OSWGA regulars. Carol Clarey downed Beth Ellinwood, 3 and 2; Elaine Crawford edged former champion Donna Warner, 2 and 1; and Cissy Grady led all the way in beating Carol Beaudette, 3 and 2. Two players familiar with the operation of a golf course also won. Nancy Diemoz, the wife of Montaup pro Steve Diemoz (who was his wife's caddy for the day), ousted Exeter's Jennifer Hendrick, 5 and 4 and Amber Weller, another collegian who is working this summer in the pro shop at Point Judith, played very well in beating Leann Cesario, 5 and 4. Weller, who attends the Savannah, Ga., College of Art and Design, still has a year of school remaining. It was the two recent grads who stole the show. While Costello's victory over White was a number 16 seed beating a number 1 seed, it really wasn't all that big an upset. Costello, who graduated from Fairfield in May, simply had an off day when she shot 87 in the qualifying round. She had beaten White in the first round of the same tournament last year, at Country View. "She did it to me again," White said as she spoke about how well Costello played yesterday. The two were the first off the tee and rain began to fall as they were finishing the first hole. "It really rained hard for the next five holes or so," White said. "It was dark. I thought we might have to stop." "That's when I was playing well," Costello said. Despite the rain, Costello was 1-under-par after six holes as she built a 4-up advantage. White, the executive director of the state's joint committee on legislative services, fought back, and she fought all the way back. When she won 14, she was even again. Costello, though, showed poise. She birdied the 15th to go back ahead again, then closed out the match when she rolled in a 25-footer for another bird to win the 17th. While White heads back to her job at the State House, Costello gets to play on, which is what she has been been doing as much as possible this summer. She has a degree in psychology from Fairfield, but has decided to return to the pro shop at Agawam Hunt, where she has worked for the past several years, and enjoy a summer of golf before beginning a work career. Blinn is in the same position. The Seekonk resident -- she was the first girl to play on the Seekonk High golf team -- graduated in May from St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa., with a triple major in psychology, sociology and child psychology. A dean's list student, Blinn spent last summer in Florida working for the Department of Children. She hopes to work with children in some aspect, but that will come later. "I haven't had a chance to play much golf around here the last few years, so I decided to take this summer off and play," Blinn said. Blinn, who was on the golf team at St. Francis, shot an 80 in qualifying, but said afterward she felt she could play better. Yesterday, she did. She was much more satisfied with her game as she overpowered Lisa. Blinn enjoyed playing the Orchard Course at Newport National. "It's the first time I've played here. It's beautiful," she said. "I think it's one of the best golf coures I've played this summer, with Warwick Country Club." Weller continued looking very much like a title threat as she built a 6-hole lead through 10 en route to her victory over Cesario. Diemoz also played well, never losing a hole in beating Hendrick. Brown and Malone had the best match by far. Malone led by two early. Brown came back and led by two. Malone won both 16 and 17 to make it even going to the 18th. Brown won it with her 18-footer for birdie on the final hole. Those who advanced in other divisions included 13-year-old Amanda Parker of Alpine, who topped Ellen Gitleman of Potowomut, 4 and 3, in the third division.
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