The 2021 Maryland State Women’s Team Championship returned to its traditional scheduling with the first set of matches beginning on May 1st, holding semi-finals on May 8th and concluding with the finals on May 15th and 16th. Twenty-one teams entered this year, which allowed for 3 flights: Championship, First, Second.
Championship Flight Teams: Argyle, Baltimore CC, Bretton Woods, Chevy Chase, Congressional, Maryland Golf, and Norbeck
First Flight Teams: Enterprise, Hunt Valley, Kenwood, Manor, Montgomery, Sparrows Point, and Talbot
Second Flight Teams: Breton Bay, Eagle’s Nest, Oak Creek, Rolling Road, U.S. Naval Academy, University of Maryland, and Woodmore
Finalists:
Championship Flight: Norbeck vs. Argyle
First Flight: Enterprise vs. Manor
Second Flight: Navy vs. Rolling Road
Final Scores & Match Highlights:
Championship Flight Finals: Argyle (8.5) vs. Norbeck (3.5)
Team #1: At Norbeck
Norbeck: Christine Bechtel and Cara Huff
Argyle: Diane Herndon and Jessica Zimmerman
This was an extremely close match with plenty of camaraderie, good sportsmanship, and enthusiasm. All four players were equal in skill and distance. Many of the holes were won or tied by lengthy clutch putts. On the front nine, Norbeck took the lead at hole 2 and holes 3-5 were even until Norbeck won holes 6 and 7. Argyle won 9. Front nine: Norbeck 5.5 to Argyle 3.5. At 10, Norbeck took an early lead but Argyle came back to win hole 11. Even until 13, Norbeck made a birdie putt and took the lead again. Next few holes remained even and finally on hole 17 at the par 5, Diane Herndon parred with a long putt, but Christine Bechtel closed the match with the last putt for birdie. Match ended with 1 hole to go. Norbeck took all 3 points.
Team #2: At Norbeck
Norbeck: Beth Ennis and Shawn McCullough
Argyle: Lisa Splaine and Stefanie Herndon
The match started out very even – all squared after 3 until Lisa Splaine made a 7-foot birdie putt resulting in 1 up for Argyle. From there on, Stephanie and Lisa took turns winning the next couple of holes. Holes 7 and 8 were even and 9 was Norbeck’s. Arglye won the front. The back started even with Norbeck up 1 going into the 14th hole. Stephanie won 14 with a birdie putt to all square. Argyle won 16 which put them 1 up. By the time the players reached the green on 17, it was already established that Argyle had won the match, so the last hole was conceded to Norbeck. Final score 2.5 to .5.
Team #1: At Argyle
Argyle: Jane Curtin and Carol Davies
Norbeck: Diane Willkens and Becky Wedemeyer
Norbeck won the first hole with a par but Argyle took the next two holes as Carol Davies hit the #2-hole par 5 green in two and an eagle was conceded to win the hole. Jane Curtin won the 3rd hole with a par. Argyle proceeded to win holes 6 and 7. Becky Wedemeyer had a terrific up and down for par on the 9th hole to win the long uphill dogleg. Diane Wilkins parred the 10th hole, but Argyle took the front by 2. Argyle continued strong on the back winning four out of 5 holes and won the match with a par on 16 taking all 3 points. (Note hole 4 was closed)
Team #2: At Argyle
Argyle: Kelly Athey and Cristina McCarthy
Norbeck: Shannon Stevens and Liz Hall
After the first hole was halved, Argyle’s team captain Kelly Athey eagled the second hole, a 405-yard par 5. She and partner Christina McCarthy played team golf allowing only 4 halved holes and handily taking the front 9. Norbeck’s Liz Hall and Shannon Stevens dug in on the back 9 after a delay due to lightning and light rain in the area. Halving 6 of the holes was not enough to come back for any points and the match ended on the 17th hole of play with the Argyle team winning all 3 points.
First Flight Finals: Enterprise (7) vs. Manor (5)
Team #1: At Enterprise
Enterprise: Ashley Stoneman and Gretchen Stoneman
Manor: Shannon Madigan and Terry Sturner
The match was extremely close. Several holes were tied but the others went back and forth. It came down to the 9th hole where Enterprise’s par putt won the front by 1. The back 9 was also close until the 14th hole when Enterprise won holes 14 and 15. They were dormie coming into the 17th hole. Manor won that hole with a great par by Terry Sturner. The teams tied the 18th hole giving Enterprise all 3 points.
Team #2: At Enterprise
Enterprise: Dee Pumphrey and Katy Henshaw
Manor: Cathie Monge and Joanne Ballin
On the front 9, Manor jumped off to a quick 2 up lead after the first 2 holes. Enterprise came back to tie it up after 5 and then after several halved holes, Enterprise won the final 2 holes to with the front by 2. The back 9 followed a similar pattern with Manor two up after 12. Enterprise came back with some great putting to draw even with five to play. After 3 straight halved holes, Manor won 17 but Enterprise came back with the final putt on the 18th hole to give them the win. Enterprise took 2 points.
Team #1: At Manor
Manor: Susan Incarnato and Fina Ives
Enterprise: Garnett Poteet and Diana Gyuras
The first match at Manor was tied going into the 9th hole. On the 9th hole, Manor’s Fina Ive made a great up and down from a tough position to clinch the point for Manor. On the back 9, after the rain delay, the Enterprise team took control building a 3-hole lead after 5 holes. On the 16th hole, the Enterprise team won both the back 9 and the match clinching 2 points.
Team #2: At Manor
Manor: Barbara DiMaio and Heidi Mcauliffe
Enterprise: Joann Moreland and Brenda Mann
The front time was a close match with both teams staying within one hole until the 8th hole when Manor won the front by two with one to go. Enterprise won the 9th hole going to the back 9 one down on the match. The back 9 was close again with both teams staying within 1 or 2 holes until Manor won on the 17th hole and winning the match overall 3-0.
Second Flight Finals: Rolling Road (6) vs. Naval Academy Golf (6) – Match decided in playoff
Team #1: At Navy
Navy: Kristin Dubinski and Cathy Officer
Rolling Road: Carly Hunt and Nancy Noppenberger
After halving the first hole, the teams traded points evenly on holes 2-4. The deciding par 3 hole at #7 was won with a par by Carly Hunt. The back nine saw holes #10-15 even. The recently renovated Navy greens were challenging for the players as putts became the deciding factors. Navy broke the ice with Kristin’s par on #16. Going into 18 with Navy 1 up, Carly’s up and down par 4 from the deep, greenside bunker was the deciding factor in Rolling Road’s 2.5 and Navy 3.5.
Rolling Road scored the same on their home course, so the match went to the first play-off hole at Navy. (As per the rules of the championship a score resulting in a tie is played at the designated home course by the first bracket players.) Both teams reached the green in 2 and only the second birdie of the day, Carly sunk her birdie putt to give Rolling Road the overall victory.
Team #2: At Navy
Navy: Kelly Doetsch and Elena Coe
Rolling Road: Deb Malone and Tracey Stuart-Paul
Kelly and Elena started a great front 9 by winning the first 2 holes and maintaining that lead throughout. Deb and Tracey were able to halve several holes but was not able to catch up. Front 9: 7 Navy and 2 Rolling Road. On the back 9, it was even for the first 2 holes and Rolling Road won hole number 12. After that, Kelly and Elena won the rest of the holes ending the match at 16 with 2 to go. Final score: 12 Navy, 4 Rolling Road.
Team #1: At Rolling Road
Rolling Road: Jill Farrell and Amanda Walsh
Navy: Suzy Smith and Debby Skipp
It was an even match on the front 9 with each team taking a ½ point, winning two holes each. On the back 9, Suzy Smith made a 25-foot putt on #11 to win the hole to go one up. Debby than made a 6-foot putt to par 12 to put Navy two up. Navy then went on to par the back 9 holes 10 through 15 to win the match 2.5 to .5 on the 15th hole.
Team #2: At Rolling Road
Rollling Road: Carol Zepp and Missy Swann
Navy: Deb Kimball and Sue Armbruster
Rolling Road started out strong winning the first 3 holes. Navy won #4 but the Rolling Road team took the lead again by winning the next 4 holes, clenching 1 point for the front. On the back, Navy rallied but could not quite catch Rolling Road, who at 2 up on 16 secured all 3 points when Carol Zepp made a par on #17.
Thank you to the team captains and their professional golf management staff for their time and commitment to the State Team Championship. The camaraderie and sportsmanship were outstanding and made this a successful tournament. Looking forward to 2022!
