Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE -ÊHad you visited Stonehenge Golf Club this week, you would have seen 16 women wearing white shirts and white skirts.
They jot down numbers and look at charts posted on the wall.
They are not nurses. They are members of the Women's Western Golf Association, officials for the 73rd National Junior Championship, held at Winona Lake's Stonehenge Golf Club this week.
One hundred forty-four girls, ages 10-18, entered the tournament won by Nancy Lopez in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Six are from Canada. The junior player ranked No. 1 by Golfweek Titleist, Candie Kung, came from Fountain Valley, Calif., to compete in the match play tournament. Golfers must have a 20 handicap or less to enter.
"We draw the best junior players from all over the country," Margi Martell, one of the 16 officials, said.
"I'll bet 20 to 25 of these players will someday be on the LPGA Tour," Stonehenge professional Dave Schumaker said.
"That's how good they are."
Two girls, Malinda Johnson and Lisa Meldrum, had the officials cooing Thursday.
"Incredible golf," Martell said. "Incredible golf."
Johnson birdied holes four, five and six. Meldrum, her opponent, responded by birdying hole seven and eagling hole eight. Johnson then birdied hole 10 and eagled hole 11. Meldrum birdied hole 11.
"It was a stretch of seven or eight holes where somebody was birdying or eagling every hole," Schumaker said. "It was phenomenal.
"Meldrum shot 33 on the front and lost the match."
Johnson, who is from Eau Clair, Wisc., defeated Meldrum, who is from Quebec, Canada, 3-1 to advance to the championship flight. She played Kristi Larsen (Scottsdale, Ariz.) at 9:30 this morning. Larsen advanced by beating Angela Rho (Fullerton, Calif.) 3-1.
The results have not gone as expected.
Kung beat Karen Quintelier in the first round but then lost to Meldrum in Wednesday's second round.
Leigh Anne Hardin, who is from Martinsville, Ind., and who is ranked No. 2 by Golfweek Titleist, won her first two rounds but lost Thursday's third-round match to Larsen 6-4. Larsen is ranked No. 44.
"The match with Leigh Anne Hardin was a definite upset," Martell said. "She had trouble putting."
Upsets are more common during match play, where the goal is to win each hole. If a golfer does bad on one hole, it doesn't carry over. She can redeem herself by winning the next hole.
Johnson has emerged as the surprise story. Hardin has been a USGA Junior Champion and 1998 Rolex All-American. Larsen, the 1998 Class 4A golfer of the year in Arizona, has been pictured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd. Meldrum was the Quebec Jr. Provincial Championship winner in 1997 and 1998.
Johnson's honors? The Wisconsin native was first team All-State. Outside of that, she received only school awards.
"Malinda Johnson's bio isn't as impressive as some of the other girls," Martell acknowledged.
No matter, because Johnson, one of the few left-handed golfers, is in the championship flight.
Schumaker served as the starter, so he has seen every golfer. The gifted ones are easy to identify, he said.
"The really good ones made the course look fairly easy," he said. "They could get it under par. Of the 144, there are probably 40 or 50 who are so much better than the rest.
"They all hit it good. The better players are better around the greens, better at chipping and putting."
The golfers have given Stonehenge the thumbs-up.
"They love the course," Martell said. "They thought the greens were fast."
Said Schumaker: "Everybody loves the course. They love putting on fast, true greens. It's very, very dry, but golf courses are fun when they're dry. The ball goes a long way."
Some of the girls have caddies. Others carry their clubs as they walk. Some have parents following them. They may talk to them, but they cannot talk golf.
Winona Lake native Kerri Wrobel, who drew a bye then beat Martinsville's Kristi Gearhart 2-1, lost to Kelly Kane (Sherman, Ill.) 6-4 Thursday.
WOMEN'S WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION 73RD NATIONAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday at Stonehenge Golf Club
Semifinal matches
Championship flight:
Consolation
Kelly Robb (Concord, Mass.) def. Hana Kim (Encino, Calif.) 5-4
Kim Kowabunpat (Upland, Calif.) def. Deb Means (Burnsville, Minn.) 4-3
Robb faces Kowabunpat today
Championship
Kristi Larsen (Scottsdale, Ariz.) def. Angela Rho (Fullerton, Calif.) 3-1
Malinda Johnson (Eau Claire, Wisc.) def. Lisa Meldrum (Quebec, Canada) 3-1
Larsen faces Johnson today
