Ginny Burkey and Lisa Smego, who both play out of The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. withstood the charge of three-time defending champions Jane Harris and Leslie Folsom, both of Rainier G&CC, to win the 14th Washington State Women's Best-Ball Championship, held at Fircrest (Wash.) Golf Club. The team of Burkey and Smego finished the two-day championship at 4-under par, while Harris and Folsom finished one shot back at 3-under par.
Going into today's final round, Burkey and Smego had a two-shot lead over Harris and Folsom and the two teams were paired together in the day's featured foursome. "We pretty much knew what we had to do," said Smego. "We know they (Folsom and Harris) are obviously good players, and they played great today, especially Jane, who sank putts from all over the place." Burkey and Smego bogeyed the 18th hole, but this was their one lapse, finishing the day at 1-under, for a two-day total of 4-under par and one shot clear of Harris and Folsom. Burkey and Smego are formidable players in their own right, with Burkey being a two-time WSGA Senior Women's Player of the Year (2009 and 2011) and Smego the 2007 WSGA Senior Women's Player of the Year. "We've played in a few team events in the past, but didn't do too well," said Smego. "Yes, we've usually 'egg-and-egged' it," added Burkey. "But this time we 'ham-and-egged' it pretty well." (View the live interview of champions Smego and Burkey here.)
The only other team under par for the championship was the team of Ann Swanson of Sand Point CC and Amy Walker of Fircrest Golf Club, who finished at 2-under par.
Finishing in first place in the net division, with a two day total of 132, 16-under par on the par 74 layout, was the team of Lavonne Klinefelter of Overlook GC and Sue Sapp of Gallery GC.
The two-day championship, conducted by the Washington State Golf Association, included many of the top women amateur golfers from Washington and Northern Idaho. The format for the championship is a 36-hole Four-Ball stroke play (gross and net). The field was divided into flights based on team handicap. The popular championship again comprised a full field of 60 teams.
For complete information and final results, please click here.
