Championship Comes Down to One Swing of the Club
For Lauri Ponikiewski the decision was easy. With the honor on the second playoff hole she was going to take the aggressive approach and attack the pin. The women’s championship would be decided on this swing. Lauri had been battling Susan Zupnik for the whole day. The rollercoaster ride lasted the full 18 holes with the shots swinging back and forth all day long. One minute Zupnik was up one shot, then the next, she was down three shots. Each player had a chance to win on the 72nd hole, but neither could settle their nerves enough to convert their birdie putts. So tied, they headed back to the tee on #18 again. Both reached the green in regulation three shots, when Ponikiewski three putted it looked like the tournament was over. Zupnik only had two feet for the championship. “My legs were shaking over that putt,” said Zupnik. Her stroke to win the tournament rolled by the right edge, leaving the crowd of about 100 spectators stunned. The playoff went to the first hole and both players missed the green. Zupnik pitched weakly from 5o yards leaving her 20 feet for par. Ponikiewski, from the right fringe chipped to 5 feet above the hole. Needing to make her putt, Zupnik made an aggressive stroke and halfway to the hole she began to chase it down knowing it was in and leaped into the air when it dropped. Now faced with a crucial downhill five footer to stay alive, Lauri calmly rolled it in and pumped her fist for the crowd. Now going to the 17th hole for the second time in an hour, Ponikiewski decided to try to shoot right at the pin which was tucked on a high point on the green behind a deep bunker. The minute she hit the shot she knew it was off line. Hitting a tree the hangs into the hole near the green, the ball came straight down into the long native grass area and was lost. Zupnik, trying to play safe, miss hit her shot and landed in the front bunker. Lauri hit her next ball short and right of the flag in the deep rough. Susan exploded from the sand long and left herself a tough putt from 20 feet downhill. If she hit it too hard it could roll past the flag, catch the slope and roll 40 feet from the cup. Ponikiewski pitched to 8 feet and watched as Zupnik rolled her putt to within 3 feet. Needing to make her putt, she missed and when Susan tapped in for bogey, the championship was hers. The two women almost let defending champion Patty Sue Ploysa back into the tournament. She closed with a final round 81 and missed the playoff by 3 shots. Ponikiewski shot 84 to Zupnik’s 86 to catch her and force the playoff.
John Rush held off Neil Johnson to win the Senior Division. Johnson had the round of the day with a 75 and fell 3 shots short of catching Rush who struggled to an 82. Johnson started the day well behind Rush, but made birdies on 4 of his last 10 holes to make a late run at the leader. For the first time during the tournament Rush did not make a birdie during the round and admitted he struggled with his putter to the point of taking four putts after reaching the par five fifth hole in two shots.
The Men’s division was already decided with Kevin Hall taking a big lead into the final round. Not even a foot injury could keep him from setting the tournament record with a total of 12 under par 276. The old record was held by Bill Roberts the last time the championships were played in St. Louis in 1997. Hall got off to a quick start again with an early birdie, this time at the first hole. He sandwiched two birdies (#6 and 9) around two bogeys (#7, 8). Hall finished a stellar tournament with birdies at 14 and 16 to shoot a four under par 68 for the second time. Doren Granberry was a distant second place and struggled again with the back nine holes playing them in 39 shots after making the turn even par.
The round of the day and the tournament belonged to Deaf Golf Legend Wilbur Sawhill. At the age of 87 and playing on a special exemption he almost shot his age on the cool blustery day at Far Oaks. He made the turn in 42 and was cruising on his final nine until he reached the last 3 holes. On the par three 7th (16th hole of the day) he missed the green wide right and lost his ball in the native grass bordering the bunkers. A triple bogey six was followed by two more bogeys to finish the round in 89 strokes!
Far Oaks Golf Club was a great host to the championships and received high praise from the players and tournament committee. The weather in St. Louis was hot on two days and unseasonably cool the others with the final round played in temperatures in the upper 70’s with a blustery north wind.
The 2009 championships will be played in Denver with the dates to be announced later in the year.