Seattle, Washington, United States: Nadene Gole produced an assured performance to make it through to the round of 32 at the 62nd US Senior Women’s Amateur.
Joint second in the 36-hole stroke play segment, the Australian enjoyed a comfortable 3&2 victory over American Martha Leach in the Round of 64 at Seattle’s Broadmoor Golf Club.
But Gole’s compatriots Sue Wooster and Louise Mullard both bowed out in the first round of match play. Also making a Monday exit were Japan’s Tomoko Suzuki and Itsuko Moridaira.
Gole, a member of the Australian team that won the inaugural Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Women’s Senior Amateur team title in Malaysia in 2022, was never behind in her contest with Leach.
Having tied the first three holes, Gole went ahead with a birdie at the par-four fourth and extended her lead at the sixth. Her opponent halved the deficit at the seventh, but Gole then galloped into a four-up lead thanks to wins on 10, 11 and 12.
Although Leach pulled one back at the short 14th, Gole halved 15 and 16 to secure the victory and earn a match-up with American Wendy Ohlmeyer in the Round of 32 on Tuesday.
Wooster, a three-time runner-up at the US Senior Women’s Amateur, had her hopes ended by American Jayne Pardus, 2&1, while Mullard was beaten 4&3 by another American, Dawn Woodard.
Pardus took the lead at the second hole and remained in front for the rest of the day. At four-up after 11 she appeared to be coasting only for Wooster to win 12 and 14. But that was as close as she would get.
Mullard was one-up through eight but lost the ninth to turn in all-square. After going in front at the 10th, Woodard also won 12, 13 and 14, finishing off the match with a half on 15.
In one of the most closely-fought matches of the day, Suzuki suffered a one-down loss to American Kay Daniel. There was never more than one hole difference.
When the duo halved the long 15th in double-bogey sevens, the Japanese player remained one-up. But Daniel snared birdies at 16 and 17 to turn the tables before halving the 18th to squeeze through.
Moridaira had to return to Broadmoor Golf Club for a 7.45 am eight-player play-off to determine the final six places among the 64 qualifiers. With a bogey, she was one of the two unlucky players to be eliminated.
