Media Guide - New York State Golf Association

The 2012 New York State
Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur Championships
Seneca Falls Country Club
July 10-12, 2012
Media Guide

Table of Contents
Championship Overview................................................................................................................. 3
Course Preview: Seneca Falls CC...................................................................................................4
2012 Participant List....................................................................................................................... 8
2011 NYS Women’s Amateur Champion: Victoria DeGroodt.......................................................... 9
2011 NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion: Teresa Cleland .................................................... 10
2011 Championship Recap........................................................................................................... 11
2011 Results................................................................................................................................. 12
Record Book................................................................................................................................. 13
About the NYSGA
The New York State Golf Association is an Association of Member Clubs, represented
by over 90 Committee Members, that exists for the purpose of promoting and
conserving the traditions of golf throughout New York State. Each year since 1923, the
NYSGA has conducted The State Amateur Championships. The eleven current Championships,
for all genders and ages, are played on the courses of its Member Clubs.
The NYSGA also provides additional services such as Scholarships, Handicapping,
Course Rating & Measuring, Training, Education, & Communication.
New York State Golf Foundation
The NYSGF is the charitable arm of the New York State Golf Association. Each
year the Foundation spends over $50,000 promoting junior golf. The programs like
Kids on Course, Golf In School, and our Scholarship Program are designed to help
introduce kids to golf, give them discounted access to practice and play and assist paying
for their college education.

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83 rd NYS Women’s Amateur &
4 th NYS Mid-Amateur Championship
Eligibility
To be eligible to compete in the New York State Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur, an entrant must:
1. Conform to the USGA “Rules of Amateur Status”
2. Be a member of an NYSGA Member Club or be an active NYSGA Associate Member
with their primary residence in New York State
3. Have an active handicap index from a golf club licensed to use the USGA Handicapping
System.
*Players will be eligible to compete in the Mid-Amateur Championship if they are 25 years of age or
older on July 10, 2012. Entrants in the Mid-Amateur Division compete in the Amateur and Mid-Amateur
Divisions concurrently and thus may win both Championships
Format
The format of the Championship is 54 holes of stroke play. The player with the lowest 54 hole score
in each Division (Amateur & Mid-Amateur) will be the Champion. If a tie exists at the end of the 54
holes, a sudden-death playoff will be used to determine the Champion.
Schedule of Events
Monday, July 09
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Player Registration - Seneca Falls Country Club
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Practice Round (players only). Call pro shop to schedule
tee time.
Tuesday, July 10
7:30 a.m. - 9:27 a.m. Round 1 - 18 Holes. Play will begin off the 1st and 10th tees.
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Contestant Lunch. Guest tickets will be available.
Wednesday, July 11
8:00 a.m. - 9:57 a.m.. Round 2 - 18 Holes. Play will begin off the 1st and 10th
tees.
12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Contestant Lunch. Guest tickets will be available.
*After Round 2, the field will be cut to the 40 lowest scores and ties
or anyone within 10 strokes of the leader, in either Championship.
Thursday, July 12
8:00 a.m. - 10:06 a.m. Round 3 - 18 Holes. Play will begin off the 1st tee. A
playoff, if necessary, will immediately follow the conclusion
of play.
12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Contestant Lunch. Guest tickets will be available.
3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Award ceremony to immediately follow conclusion of play.

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Course Preview: Seneca Falls CC
with Head Pro Bob Fuller
Course History
July 6, 1925 marks the day the Seneca Falls Country Club was incorporated. That was the
day a group of investors from Seneca Falls, NY and Waterloo, NY paid $5,000 to Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Denny of Riverside, California for 115 acres of land that is now country club property.
The land included the farmland and a 2-story barn on the shores of Cayuga
Lake.
The investors hired Mr. Noble from Newark, NY. He built what is now known as the “Old
Nine”. This “Old Nine” includes the currently holes one through Course Facts
four, 10 through 12 and 18. These same greens remain intact
today with the exception of greens #10 and #11. In 1941, Mr. Yardage: 5,978 yards
Jerry Stack, the club pro at the time, relocated these greens by Slope: 119
moving them back about 100 feet. Both greens were situated
Course Rating: 73.2
on top of a knoll and were considered unplayable. The original
practice green was located just behind the old clubhouse, where
the banquet hall is currently located. The original first tee was Last NYSGA Women’s
located near the entrance to the SFCC.
Am Hosted: First time
Host for an NYSGA
In 1964, the Board of Directors, headed by “Bud” Souhan decid- Championship

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ed to build a new nine holes and make the golf course a regulation 18-hole course. Mr. Souhan
donated his time in addition to labor and materials from his Seneca Knitting Mill to clear
the land and get the project started. The actual construction began in 1965 and the nine was
opened in June of 1966.
In October 1999, the long-standing clubhouse was destroyed by a fire. The clubhouse was
rebuilt in 2000 and the 2001 season is hallmarked by the Grand Opening of the new facility.
Because of the construction, hole #10 was rerouted to play as a dog-leg right and the tee was
moved about 100 yards directly north.
Course Condition
Central New York has
experienced a relatively
dry and hot summer thus
far and there seems to be
little relief in sight. These
conditions can sometimes
prove disastrous for a golf
course, especially during
the peak of the season.
To combat these conditions,
the staff at Seneca
Falls has been working
diligently for the past two
months to get the course
in tournament-ready
condition. Different fertilizing
techniques have
been used and greens
have been cut down to
increase their speeds.
Specifically, Bob Fuller,
Seneca Falls Head Golf Pro, says “They’ve been using more fertilizer to get it back to being
green and trying not to put as much water down. The course is in excellent shape, the staff
has done a good job and the rest is up to mother nature.”
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 274 341 155 368 352 479 163 359 505 2996 334 287 115 390 493 305 395 185 478 2982 5978
Par 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 5 36 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 5 36 72
Seneca Falls CC Scorecard

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Best Scoring Stretch
Coming off of a difficult
three-hole stretch
on the front nine,
holes five, six, seven
and eight, will provide
a respite for players
and a chance to gain
momentum going into
the back nine. Fuller
says “The holes are
realtively easy, a little
bit shorter, especially
with this dry weather,
and greens are pretty
accessible.” It will be
important for players
to capitalize on the
opportunities to score
low on these holes before
tackling the difficulty
of the back nine.
Above: The second hole proves to be a bit of a challenge, especially
if a player gets caught up in one of the hole’s many bunkers.
Below: The scenic fifth hole will provide a player the opportunity to
score low and enjoy the view!
Most Difficult
Stretch
Fuller says, “Holes 16
and 17 will prove to
be the hardest holes
on the course, with
one of the hardest
holes [in NY State]
on 16 and then 17
is a good par-3, a
long one, protected
by bunkers on the
lefthand side.” Bob
also mentions holes
two, three and four
provide somewhat
of a challenge. More
specifically, he says
“The holes are well
bunkered, and four is
a good, long par-4;
the long ball is key.”

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A
Adamowski, Sarah
B
Barnard, Tracy
Battle, Alexandra
Beatty, Joanna
Bednar, Stephanie
Blyth, Tammy
Brophy, Gail
C
Cadieux, Gabrielle
Caligiore, Aimee
Campbell, Cecilia
Carter, Larissa
Cleland, Teresa
Colliflower, Kitty
Connors, Emily
Conti, June
Costello, Sharyn
Court, Lynn
Creighton, Kit
Cupp, Lauren Steates
D
Dantonio, Chelsea
Darois, Ncolette
DeGroodt, Victoria
Doyle, Emily
E
Eichelberger, Sara
F
Fallon, Megan
Fassler, Vanessa
Fiore, Mary Beth
List of Participants
Flynn, Molly
Fuss Danielle
G
Gandhi, Kanika
Godfrey-Singleton,
Sarah
Gregory, Skye
H
Hanes, Michelle
Harter, Kasey
Hoecker, Jenna
I
J
Jackson, Sandra
K
Kaplan, Suzanne
Kaul, Kim
Klenk, Alyssa
Kuhn, Melinda
L
Lane, Alexandra
M
Malo, Christy
Mayne, Patricia
McMahon, Claire
Murphy, Julie
N
Nowak, Noel
O
Oswald, Ellen
P
Pargh, Michelle
Petty, Lauren
Potter, Lori
Powers, Kristin
Q
R
Ritzmann, Emma
Roberts, Gabriela
S
Schiek, Penny
Schuffenecker, Samantha
Simons, Sara
Studin, Rebecca
T
Taylert, Rasmita
U
V
Vanderstyne, Jenee
W
Walker, Courtney
Watkins, Carina
X
Y
Z
Zawicki, Kathy
Ziamandanis, Grace

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DeGroodt Looks to Capture Back-to-
Back Women’s Amateur Titles
It was only one year ago when the Women’s
State Amateur Championship experienced a
rare, storybook ending. On a day that saw other
golfers falter, Victoria DeGroodt remained steadfast
and persevered. DeGroodt began the day
nine strokes off the leader then went on to win
the Championship by a single stroke. The rising
college sophomore recalls the day “As kind of
a surprise, one that just came out of nowhere. I
was like nine strokes back and thought I had no
chance of winning, it was unreal.” Specifically
DeGroodt credits holes 10 and 11 on the back
nine as opportunites that let her score low and
give her final round the boost it needed!
In her year since winning the New York
State Women’s Amateur Championship, De-
Groodt attended her first year of college at the
University South Carolina- Beaufort and received
a scholarship to play on the USCB Women’s Golf
Team. She describes her experience playing at
the collegiate level as one of a typical freshman.
“It was good, being a freshman, I didn’t expect to
play much. I think, I played in 10-out-of-12 tournaments
that we had and I didn’t play as well as
I wanted to but it was a good experience, playing
that type of competition.” DeGroodt will return to
her team in the fall of 2012.
Now the question is can DeGroodt become
a back-to-back NYS Women’s Amateur
Champion? The field at Seneca Falls will be 63
women strong with many familiar faces returning
such as, Danielle Fuss and Teresa Cleland.
DeGroodt, although not familiar with the course,
is confident in her ability to again be a contender
for the title. When asked whether or not she feels
pressure going into the Championship, DeGroodt
said “I don’t feel any pressure but I would definitely
like to come out on top again.” Quite possibly
her carefree attitude can be accredited to her
daily prctice schedule. DeGroodt says “I go out
on my own and practice for about an hour and
a half every day. When I play, I see what needs
work and what doesn’t and I’m sure to improve
on that the next day.” Further, DeGroodt says
“I have focus, a bad shot doesn’t really weigh
me down because I know there are so many other
shots out there and there are so many other things
that can be happening to other people [on the
course].”
Really, only time will tell whether or not Victoria
DeGroodt will experience the same success
this year as the last. Still, one thing is for sure, she
is definitely gunning for that title.

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Cleland Readies to Defend Mid-Amateur Title
Teresa Cleland is no stranger to tournament
golf, especially New York State Championship
Tournaments. Last year, she clinched her
first NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur Title. Her 2011
banner year did not stop there! After the NYS
Women’s Mid- Amateur, Cleland qualified as a
medalist for the USGA Women’s SeniorAmateur,
placed 11th in the North and South Championship
and also played on the 2011 NYS Team in
the USGA Women’s State Team Championship.
Now, after a year of what Cleland describes as
unbelievable opportunity, she is set to defend her
mid-amateur title at Seneca Falls Country Club
and hopefully make a run at the NYS Women’s
Amateur.
Almost all would agree that Cleland’s
decision to return and defend her title is a nobrainer
especially because of her success in past
events. But perhaps her main reason for returning
is not to capture another title but because she
has a genuine love for playing in NYS Women’s
Amateur. Much like last year, Cleland’s mindset
going into this year’s Championship is the same:
“Play the best you can, enjoy it and see what
happens... if you go in with the mindset that you
have to repeat than you put an awful lot of pressure
on yourself. You have to stay focused on
playing Seneca Falls and scoring the best you
can at Seneca Falls”.
Further, Cleland knows that Seneca
Falls will be a good test. With that in mind, she
has been practicing quite a bit. “I’ve been really
working on the short game part of it because I’ve
found that the more I compete at the national
level, they’re so sharp with their short games and
they waste so few shots on that. When you really
look at it, what it comes down to is you can save
a lot of mediocre rounds with some good short
game play.” Further, Cleland says “it is important
to know how to adjust quickly to the conditions
at a course and try to make the most of a round
when my ball striking isn’t perfect.”
Cleland loves to practice and improve her
game, and after talking with her, it is apparent
that much of her success can be attributed to her
laid back attitude toward what is often described
as a frustrating game. In her own words, “There will be
days where it’s just not there, you just try to make the
best of it, and hang in there and not get down. I really
don’t get down on myself. I always try to keep an even
keel. If it’s happening, it’s happening, if its not, I’m not
going to beat myself up over it.”
Looking ahead, this mindset will also propel
her through the remainder of the 2012 golf season.
She will be competeing in the Post-Standard Women’s
Amateur and the North and South Championship. Also,
Cleland will attempt to qualify for the USGA Women’s
Mid-Amateur and the USGA Women’s Senior Amateur
Championships. For now, her focus is on Seneca Falls
and enjoying the tournament. “I’m going to go there, I’m
going to try to put some good rounds together and see
what happens.”
Almost all would agree, on a golf course, that is
all for which anyone can ask.

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The 2011 NYS Women’s Amateur &
Mid-Amateur Championships
Rome Country Club, Rome, N.Y.
July 12-14, 2011
Beginning the third and final day of the 82nd NYSGA Women’s Am, Victoria DeGroodt was
nine shots behind leader Danielle Fuss. If DeGroodt was going to have any shot at the title,
her final day was going to have to be one with few mistakes and major scoring opportunities.
Aided by a birdie on hole 10 and an eagle on hole 11, that was exactly the day that DeGroodt
experienced. She finished the day with a one-under, not only capturing her first NYSGA
Women’s Amateur Championship but also setting the women’s course record at Rome Country
Club. In the end, DeGroodt won the Championship by one stroke over 36-hole leader
Danielle Fuss, who shot a final round of 81.
The 3rd NYSGA Women’s Mid-Am was equally exciting! Mid-Amateur Champion, Teresa
Cleland, shot a final round 77. She finished the tournament with a 54-hole total of 230, to beat
two-time defending Mid-Amateur Champion, Christy Schultz, by three strokes. Cleland finished
second to Schultz in the first and second year of the tournament. Her mental approach
and physical skill aided her ability to hold off Schultz in round 2 and the final round of the
Championship. Notably, Schultz fired a final round 76 and totaled a 233 for the tournament.

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Final Results: 2011 Women’s Amateur
Finish Player City Tot. Par R1 R2 R3 Score
1 Victoria DeGroodt Walden, NY +10 79 76 71 226
2 Danielle Fuss Rochester, NY +11 73 73 81 227
3 Jillian Fraccola Manlius, NY +12 74 76 78 228
4 Teresa Cleland Syracuse, NY +14 79 74 77 230
5 Sarah Tranelli Penfield, NY +16 79 76 77 232
6 Christy Schultz Livonia, NY +17 76 81 76 233
7 Lauren Petty Baldwinsville, NY +19 79 77 79 235
T8 Alexandra Battle Honeoye Falls, NY +20 77 81 78 236
Jenna Hoecker Rochester, NY +20 81 74 81 236
Aimee Caligiore Lake Placid, NY +20 78 77 81 236
11 Julie Murphy Amherst, NY +21 78 82 77 237
12 Mary Sicard Lake George, NY +23 80 75 84 239
T13 Kim Kaul Colden, NY +24 81 78 81 240
Natalie Wisniewski Williamsville, NY +24 80 78 82 240
T15 Rebecca Studin Ithaca, NY +25 77 85 79 241
Joanna Beatty Newburgh, NY +25 81 79 81 241
T17 Emma Ritzmann Fairport, NY +26 81 81 80 242
Julie MacDonell Sayville, NY +26 79 83 80 242
Lauren Steates Cupp Rome, NY +26 78 84 80 242
20 Annemarie Kissane Albany, NY +27 77 86 80 243
T21 Chloe Altchek Rye, NY +28 84 78 82 244
Carina Watkins Phoenix, NY +28 79 83 82 244
23 Stephanie Bednar Hudson, NY +29 77 82 86 245
T24 Sandra Wood Ithaca, NY +30 82 82 82 246
Margaret Suchan West Point, NY +30 85 80 81 246
T26 Michelle Hanes Elma, NY +31 84 83 80 247
Patricia Mayne Guilderland, NY +31 84 79 84 247
Sandra Jackson New York, NY +31 82 82 83 247
Karen Feldman Hudson, NY +31 85 84 78 247
30 Linda Ptak Whitesboro, NY +32 87 82 79 248
31 Kasey Harter Millport, NY +33 82 84 83 249
T32 Sharyn Costello Lansing, NY +34 83 87 80 250
Barbara Israel New York, NY +34 83 82 85 250
Gail Flanagan Rye, NY +34 82 86 82 250
35 Ella Kellogg Queensbury, NY +35 84 79 88 251
T36 Tammy Blyth Pittsford, NY +37 85 83 85 253
Stephenie Harris New York, NY +37 84 83 86 253
Mary Fletcher Fayetteville, NY +37 82 86 85 253
39 Lori Potter East Aurora, NY +39 86 83 86 255
40 Vanessa Fassler East Meredith, NY +42 88 81 89 258
-----------------------------------------------------------------CUT ---------------------------------------------------------------
41 Tara Petruzillo Muttontown, NY +27 80 91 171
T42 Gail Brophy Saratoga Springs, NY +28 87 85 172
Alyssa Klenk East Amherst, NY +28 86 86 172
T44 Melinda Kuhn Cicero, NY +30 87 87 174
Megan Cahill Auburn, NY +30 89 85 174
Deborah Enders Dewitt, NY +30 89 85 174
47 Diane Waldron Utica, NY +31 89 86 175
T48 Mary Beth Fiore Elmira Heights , NY +32 86 90 176
Brittany Siechen East Syracuse , NY +32 90 86 176
Michelle Pargh Etna, NY +32 85 91 176
51 Alexandra Wakefield Fayetteville, NY +34 89 89 178

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Final Results: 2011 Women’s Amateur
Finish Player City Tot. Par R1 R2 R3 Score
T52 Penny Schiek Queensbury, NY +35 90 89 179
Sarah Bothner Rochester, NY +35 96 83 179
T54 Claire McMahon Cheektowaga, NY +36 95 85 180
Molly Flynn East Aurora, NY +36 85 95 180
56 Brooke Llobell Great River, NY +37 96 85 181
57 Kathy Zawicki Batavia, NY +38 94 88 182
58 Jackie Young Burnt Hills, NY +45 101 88 189
59 Jolene Porter Yulan, NY +54 101 97 198
60 Alexandra Novak Getzville, NY +57 102 99 201
61 Sharon Wild Owego, NY +58 99 103 202
62 Victoria Roney Fayetteville, NY +73 112 105 217
Finals Results: 2011 Women’s Mid-Amateur
Finish Player City Tot. Par R1 R2 R3 Score
1 Teresa Cleland Syracuse, NY +14 79 74 77 230
2 Christy Schultz Livonia, NY +17 76 81 76 233
3 Julie Murphy Amherst, NY +21 78 82 77 237
4 Mary Sicard Lake George, NY +23 80 75 84 239
5 Kim Kaul Colden, NY +24 81 78 81 240
6 Joanna Beatty Newburgh, NY +25 81 79 81 241
7 Lauren Steates Cupp Rome, NY +26 78 84 80 242
8 Carina Watkins Phoenix, NY +28 79 83 82 244
9 Sandra Wood Ithaca, NY +30 82 82 82 246
T10 Karen Feldman Hudson, NY +31 85 84 78 247
Patricia Mayne Guilderland, NY +31 84 79 84 247
Sandra Jackson New York, NY +31 82 82 83 247
13 Linda Ptak Whitesboro, NY +32 87 82 79 248
T14 Barbara Israel New York, NY +34 83 82 85 250
Gail Flanagan Rye, NY +34 82 86 82 250
Sharyn Costello Lansing, NY +34 83 87 80 250
17 Ella Kellogg Queensbury, NY +35 84 79 88 251
T18 Stephenie Harris New York, NY +37 84 83 86 253
Tammy Blyth Pittsford, NY +37 85 83 85 253
20 Lori Potter East Aurora, NY +39 86 83 86 255
------------------------------------------------------------CUT --------------------------------------------------------------------
T21 Alyssa Klenk East Amherst, NY +28 86 86 172
Gail Brophy Saratoga Springs, NY +28 87 85 172
T23 Deborah Enders Dewitt, NY +30 89 85 174
Melinda Kuhn Cicero, NY +30 87 87 174
25 Diane Waldron Utica, NY +31 89 86 175
T26 Mary Beth Fiore Elmira Heights, NY +32 86 90 176
Michelle Pargh Etna, NY +32 85 91 176
28 Penny Schiek Queensbury, NY +35 90 89 179
29 Molly Flynn East Aurora, NY +36 85 95 180
30 Kathy Zawicki Batavia, NY +38 94 88 182
31 Jolene Porter Yulan, NY +54 101 97 198
32 Sharon Wild Owego, NY +58 99 103 202

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Record Book
1930-2011
Most Victories:
Ruth Torgerson (Lakeville): 5
Margaret Nevil (Cooperstown): 4
Christy Schultz (Rochester): 4*
Helen Hicks (Hewlett): 3
Lancy Smith (Buffalo): 3
Dianne Wilde (Amsterdam): 3
Moira Dunn (Utica): 3
Danielle Downey (Rochester): 3
* 3 Women’s Am victories & 1 Mid-Am title
Most Consecutive Victories:
Ruth Torgerson, 5 (1946-1950)
Margaret Nevil, 3 (1958-1960)
Moira Dunn, 3 (1992-1994)
Danielle Downey, 3 (1999-2001)
Christy Schultz, 3 (2007-2009)
Longest Match:
Kristine Kavanaugh: 1 up 38 (1989)
Mary Anne Widman: 1 up 38 (1982)
Cindy Kessler: 1 up 37 (1928)
Marjorie Harrison: 1 up 25 (1941)
Youngest Winner:
Megan Grehan: 13 (2002)
Biggest Field:
Onondaga C.C. (Syracuse): 142 in 1949
Most Curtis Cup Selections:
Lancy Smith: 4 (1978, 1980, 1982, 1984)
Widest Margin of Victory:
Lancy Smith, 14 and 12 (1969)
Mary Lawrence, 13 and 12 (1977)
Ruth Torgerson, 12 and 11 (1947)
4 14 45 63 216
Years since tournment
switched
from match play to
stroke play
Age of youngest individual
set to compete
in this year’s
Championship
Number of Club’s
represented in this
year’s Championship
Entries received for
this year’s Championship
Lowest 54 holes to
win Championship
since returning to
stroke play format
(Kristina Wong, 2009
at Drumlins GC)