Sarah Davison Leads After First Round

 of U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

NEWS RELEASE FROM USGA

CHOUDRANT, Louisiana  – Sarah Davison, a member at Squire Creek Country Club, the host site of the 29th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, shot even-par 72 on the 6,061-yard lay-out to lead after Saturday’s first round of stroke play.

Fellow Louisiana native Ashley Tonore, 38, of Monroe, and Casey Ward, 25, of Canada, are two strokes behind Davison.

Davison, 35, lives adjacent to the 17th hole of Squire Creek in Choudrant, but got off to a little bit of a slow start, sitting 3 over after 12 holes. 

Finishing her round on the outward nine, she found her putting stroke with a 35ft birdie putt on the par-4 fourth hole. She followed with a birdie on the par-3 fifth and finished her round with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 ninth.

“It was a little slow start – windy, cold. I just tried to make pars on that portion of the golf course, and get through that, knowing the sun would come out and warm up,” said Davison, a three-time All American at the University of Alabama under her maiden name of Johnston.

 “I got my putter working on the middle of my back nine, which always helps out here.”

Tonore, a Louisiana State University graduate and LPGA Tour player under her maiden name of Winn, is playing in her first competitive event since her amateur status was reinstated in 2006. After starting at No. 10 and carding a 3-over start through seven holes, she played her final 11 at 1 under with birdies on 17 and 7.

“I told myself before I started out just be patient,” said Tonore, the former head women’s golf coach at the University of Louisiana-Monroe who now works in pharmaceutical sales for Eli Lilly. “There’s going to be some bogeys here or there and you’ve got to accept that. If I can keep the big numbers out and sneak a couple birdies in, then I felt like it could be a solid round. That’s how it went today, luckily.”

Ward, competing in her first USGA championship, struggled on the greens at times, but balanced it with four birdies.

“I just kind of kept plugging along. I'm pleasantly surprised I did as well as I did, to be honest,” said Ward, the 2015 Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur champion. 

“I had some three-putts out there, but for the most part I was able to move on from those.”

A quartet of players shot 3-over 75, including defending champion Margaret Shirley, 29, of Roswell, Georgia. Sherry Wright, 48, of Chula Vista, California, capped her first USGA championship round with an eagle on the par-4 18th, sinking a 5-iron from 167 yards. 

Julie Massa, 52, of Holt, Michigan, and Stacy Dennis, 42, of Addison, Texas, also shot 75.

Four-time Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi, 37, of Oakland Park, Flora, a former USA Curtis Cup player, shot 6-over 78. Former Women’s Mid-Amateur champions Martha Leach (2009) and Julia Potter (2013) shot 79 and 80, respectively.
Play resumes at 8 a.m. CDT on Sunday for the second round of stroke play, after which the field will be cut to 64 for match play, beginning on Monday.

The 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is open to female amateur golfers with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 9.4. It consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Oct. 8.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND SCORES

Par 72. Yardage 6,061

Sarah Davison, Choudrant, Louisiana  34-38--72

Casey Ward, Canada  36-38--74

Ashley Tonore, Monroe, Louisiana  36-38--74

Sherry Wright, Chula Vista, California 38-37--75

Julie Massa, Holt, Michigan 37-38--75

Margaret Shirley, Roswell, Georgia.  38-37--75

Stacy Dennis, Addison, Texas  38-37--75

Katie Miller, Jeannette, Pennsylvania  40-36--76

Tara Joy-Connelly, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  38-38--76

Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Maryland.  36-41--77

Lauren Greenlief, Oakton, Virginia.  40-37--77

Kay Daniel, Covington, Louisiana 38-39--77

Julie Oxendine, Russellville, Arkansas 37-40--77

Kristin Paulson, Pella, Iowa  40-37--77

Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Florida  42-36--78

Deborah Anderson, La Quinta, California  38-40--78

Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Florida 39-39--78

Dawn Woodard, Greer, South Carolina 42-36--78

Shelly Stouffer, Canada  39-39--78

Patty Moore, Charlotte, North Carolina.  40-38--78

Rachel Smith, Mansfield, Texas  41-37--78

Shawn Farmer-Sese, Bellevue, Washington 40-38--78

Katrin Wolfe, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 40-39--79

Alyssa Roland, New York 40-39--79

Mina Hardin, La Quinta, California.  40-39--79

Martha Leach, Hebron, Kentucky  40-39--79

Leslie Folsom, Seattle, Washington  39-40--79

Jordan Craig, Connellsville, Pennsylvania  39-40--79

Olivia Herrick, Roseville, Minnesota.  40-39--79

Mary Kay [Mk] Thanos-Zordani, Palm Desert, California.  42-37--79

Lynne Cowan, Rocklin, California.  39-40--79

Susan West, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  42-38--80
Kristyl Sunderman, Coto De Caza, California.  41-39--80
Claire Sheldon, Somerville, Massachusetts.  40-40--80
Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, California 37-43--80
Julia Potter, Granger, Indiana.  41-39--80
Katie Jorgensen, Exeter, Nebras,a.  40-40--80
Mercedes Huarte, Argentina  41-39--80

Kareen Markle, Meridian, Idaho  41-39--80

Anna Morales, Peru  43-37--80

Kelly Wilson, Cameron Park, California.  41-39--80

Joy Robinson, Pebble Beach, California.  40-40--80

Lauren Kuss, Zionsville, Indiana.  43-37--80

Janet Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado.  40-41--81

Debbie Adams, Asheville, North Carolina  40-41--81
Leigh Klasse, Woodbury, Minnesota.  39-42--81
Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, California  38-43--81
Mimi Hoffman, Springfield, Virginia.  41-40--81
Candus Herrera, Spring, Texas  42-39--81

Tracy Welch, Winchester, Massachusetts.  38-43--81

Whitney Britton, Laguna Niguel, California40-41--81
Amanda Jacobs, Portland, Oregon  42-39--81
Lynn Thompson, Cincinnati, Ohio  42-39--81
Alicia Kapheim, Pennington, New Jersey 42-39--81

Robin Burke, Houston, Texas  39-42--81

Julie McMullin, Park City, Utah  39-42--81

Samantha Perrotta, Bordentown, N.J.  41-40--81

Charlotte Daughan, Orlando, Fla.  39-42--81

Eleana Collins, Baltimore, Md.  41-40--81

Thuhashini Selvaratnam, Sri Lanka  39-42--81

Erin Carney, Mission Hills, Kan.  42-39--81

Lin Culver, Palm Coast, Fla.  42-39--81

Stefi Markovich, Canada  36-45--81

Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla.  42-40--82

Lacy Shelton, Overland Park, Kan.  39-43--82

Amy Loughney, Hoboken, New Jersey   40-42--82

Courtney McKim, Raleigh, N.C.  41-41--82
Danielle Davis, Saint Simons, Ga.  40-42--82
Marie Bos, New York, N.Y.  42-40--82
Dani Mullin, West Islip, N.Y.  39-43--82
Amanda Dixon, Hillsboro, Ohio  40-42--82
Sue Wooster, Australia  41-42--83

Brandi McKnight, El Paso, Texas  41-42--83

Lisa Cook, Noblesville, Ind.  42-41--83

Cindy Gilkeson, Sugarland, Texas  41-42--83

Lindsay Davis, Chicago, Ill.  44-39--83

Heather Wall, Lakeland, Fla.  43-40--83

Connie Isler, Annapolis, Md.  44-39--83

Becky Neal, Mansfield, Texas  44-40--84

Tanna Richard, Fort Smith, Ark.  45-39--84

Deb Hughes, Denver, Colorado.  40-44--84

Sydney Wells, Menominee, Mich.  43-41--84

Fay Chen, Huntington Beach, Calif.  42-42--84

Carmen Titus, Kansas City, Missouri  42-42--84

Paige Bromen, Minneapolis, Minnesota  42-42--84

Eden Anderson, Oakland, Calif.  44-40--84

Meghan Moake, Houston, Texas  42-43--85

Jirapon Carlson, Macon, Georgia  46-40--86

Patti Feldman, Sands Point, N.Y.  45-41--86

Robin Donnelley, Palm Beach, Fla.  45-41--86

Morgan Jackson, Seminole, Fla.  43-43--86

Catherine Shealy, Columbia, South Carolina.  38-48--86

Angie Whitley Coleman, New Castle, Del.  43-43--86

Kathryn Hauff, Fargo, North Dakota.  45-41--86

Deanne Stolarik, Zion, Illinois.  44-42--86

Julie Carmichael, Plainfield, Ind.  44-42--86

Sarah Matin, Winter Garden, Fla.  43-43--86
Daria Cummings, Monroe, Conn.  42-45--87
Morag Mitchell, Canada  43-44--87
Ryan Kopet, Chattanooga, Tenn.  42-45--87
Tama Caldabaugh, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.  43-44--87
Maggie Leef, Merton, Wis.  45-42--87

Christina Proteau, Canada  44-43--87

Beth Williams, Atlanta, Ga.  44-44--88

Lucy Sievers, Wilmette, Ill.  47-41--88
Allison Pettit, Chicago, Ill.  44-44--88
Miki Gardner, San Diego, Calif.  39-49--88
Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas  45-43--88
Karen Bouloucon, West Milford, N.J.  45-43--88

Alexandra Frazier, Conshohocken, Pa.  44-44--88

Donna Benford, Fenton, Mich.  45-43--88

Deb Jackson, Johns Creek, Ga.  45-44--89

Janie Carpenter, Garland, Texas  44-45--89

Marcy Austin, Thousand Oaks, Calif.  43-46--89

Melissa Spencer, San Jose, Calif.  45-44--89

Susan Rheney, Greensboro, Ga.  43-47--90

Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif.  45-45--90

Shirley Vaughn, Canton, Ohio  45-45--90

Angel Macleod, North Attleboro, Mass.  44-46--90

Hui Chong Dofflemyer, Belvidere, Ill.  41-49--90

Kathy Crumley, Dallas, Texas  45-45--90

Erin Lanphear, Bowling Green, Ky.  45-46--91

Jessica Surber, The Woodlands, Texas  42-49--91

Carol Martin, La Quinta, Calif.  44-47--91

Cathy Lonegan, Camarillo, Calif.  44-48--92

Annie Hogan, Medford, Mass.  48-45--93

Jaime Branch, Shawnee, Okla.  49-44--93

Leslie Henry, Houston, Texas  48-45--93

Julie Marr, Gallatin, Tenn.  44-49--93

Jessica Marksbury, Calimesa, Calif.  44-50--94

Jessica McVay, Denver, Colo.  49-48--97

Liza Martin-Garrubbo, Warren, N.J.  53-47--100