Folsom wins Senior Women's Amateur; Adams takes Super Senior; Three tied atop Women's Am; Fallgren has lead in Mid-Am

Leslie Folsom of Tukwila, Wash. won the 21st Washington Senior Women’s Amateur by two shots over Jane Harris, also of Tukwila. This is the second title for Folsom in this championship, having also won in 2018.

Kris Adams of Lake Tapps, Wash. won the 7th Washington Super Senior Women’s Amateur.

Championship links:

• Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur:
  Results | Pairings | Photos
• Senior & Super Senior Women’s Amateur:
  Results | Pairings | Photos

Folsom started today’s round with a one-shot lead over Harris. The two, who have been married for 20 years, were paired together in today’s final round. Harris put pressure on Folsom early, pouring in birdies on holes five and seven and taking a three-shot lead after the front nine. But Harris stumbled on the back nine, with double-bogeys on holes 10 and 14, and Folsom parred the last five holes to clinch the title.

“A lot of emotions for me today,” Folsom said after the win. “When I moved out here 25 years ago, I played out of Gold Mountain and their women’s division embraced me with me knowing nobody here.

“I hated that Sandra Turbide was able to play in this event as the defending champion, because she couldn’t get across the border (being from British Columbia). She is a fantastic champion and fantastic person. So all of these championships are special, and I don’t take any of them for granted.

“It has been a strange year, with COVID-19, but we’re here today, able to play, and our families are safe. For many of us, this will be the only event we play in this year. So this win today is bittersweet, quite frankly.”

Folsom and Harris combined for five birdies on the day. Both players have the same trainer, Shawn Farmer, who promised to do 10 push-ups for every birdie. “It looks like Shawn has to do 50 push-ups,” Folsom said with a laugh.

Folsom was named the WA Golf Senior Women’s Player of the Year the past two years (2018, 2019).

In the Super Senior, Adams shot a solid 76 in today’s final round to vault into the lead. She began the day tied for second, one shot back of first-round leader Sunny Sue Kim of Bellevue, Wash.

“I feel completely fortunate about this win,” Adams said after her round. “Because the field is so tough, and the golf course is good. I’m a little overwhelmed right now, I just don’t know what to say. I played with some great players today. Sue (Ursino, of Sammamish, Wash.) is a past champion and Sunny Sue finished tied for low net (with Ellen Wang of Bellevue, who then won in a Scorecard Match).”

Adams shot 1-over-par 37 on the front nine of both her rounds, which propelled her to the title.

Kim and Ursino finished tied for second, two shots back of Adams. Ursino had won this title in 2018. Karen Madison of Spokane Valley, Wash., who finished tied for third with Debbie Acton of Kirkland, Wash., won this title in 2016.

Brittany Kwon of Bremerton, Wash., Madelyn Gamble of Pleasant Hill, Calif. and Jessica Mangrobang of Spokane, Wash. sit tied atop the leaderboard after two rounds in the Women’s Amateur. The three players will make up tomorrow’s final group of the championship, teeing off at 11:00am.

Kwon entered the day as the overnight leader with a two-shot lead and followed up yesterday’s 2-under 70 with a 1-over 73 today.

Mangrobang followed up a first round 72 with a 1-under 70 today to grab a share of the lead.

Gamble matched the low round of the day today shooting a 4-under 68 that vaulted her up the leaderboard after an opening round 3-over 75.

In the Women’s Mid-Amateur, two-time champion (2017-18) Victoria Fallgren of Spokane, Wash. holds a one-shot lead entering the final round.

Fallgren used two back-nine birdies to finish today’s round with a 2-over 74, moving her to 3-over overall and just one stroke ahead of defending champion Tina Papatolis of Issaquah, Wash. Papatolis and Fallgren entered today’s round tied for the lead at 1-over par.

All four championships are being held concurrently this week on the Cascade Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club Bremerton, Wash. and are being conducted by Washington Golf. The Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur championships are contested over 54 holes of stroke play on June 30-July 2, while the Senior and Super Senior championships consist of 36 holes of stroke play on June 30-July 1.

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