Bears Shine at WSGA Event

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Tenn. - Mercer University’s women’s golf program found itself prominently on display at the 95th Women’s Southern Amateur Championship, held at the scenic Lookout Mountain Golf Course. The event is sponsored by the Women’s Southern Golf Association (WSGA).

96 amateurs from around the country competed in the tournament, with the vast majority of the amateurs being college student-athletes. The first day was a stroke play qualifying round, with the 32 low scores placed in the “Championship Flight” and the balance assigned to four other flights (based on score).

Kaitlin Marrin – who completed her freshman season with the Bears in the spring of 2010 - was the champion of the Third Flight. After her qualifying round, Marrin disposed of Jo Glenn (7 & 5), Ann Cowan (2 & 1), Connie Bousquet (8 & 7) and Lecia Alexander (2 & 1) in the finals.

Former Bear, Monica Kelsey (at left in photo) - who finished her time playing for the MU team this past spring) - was a finalist in the Championship Consolation Flight. Kelsey lost her first match and then reeled off three consecutive wins, before losing in the finals to Stephanie Smith (1 up).

The Women’s Southern Amateur Championship tournament became an annual rite on the Seth Raynor-designed Lookout Mountain course in 1925. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the golf course has many golf holes with significant elevation changes and presents a good test in determining a champion.

The area of membership for the WSGA, as voted in 1928, still comprises the 15 southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

The WSGA was founded in the summer of 1910 by Mrs. George Harrington of Eastlake Country Club in Atlanta and Mrs. Willard Parker Sullivan of Richmond, Va.  The duo - concerned over the lack of a championship golf tournament for women in the South - was determined to hold an event at Eastlake that fall. The tournament eventually took place on May 15, 1911 and the WSGA was born.  The WSGA Amateur Championship has since been an annual event, with the exception of the war years of 1918 and 1942-45.

Complete results and highlights can be found at: www.womens-southerngolfassociation.org.