Courtesy: Peter Pietrangelo, The Evening NewsSAULT STE. MARIE – Dorothy Dansdill topped the field in the first round of the Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association Championship on Monday, but the rest of the tournament may not play into her hands quite as easily.
Playing at the Sault Ste. Marie Country Club, her home course, Dansdill shot an 85 to earn the No. 2 seed when the championship flight begins this morning.
“It surprised me a lot,” said Dansdill, the defending UPLGA senior champion who hasn’t played in this tournament for a number of years. “I’m happily surprised. I sank some putts, but had some bad shots, too.”
Three-time defending champion Syd Wells of Menominee River is the automatic top seed. Lisa LaCasse of Gladstone Golf Club and Cathy Kucherak of Frances, Utah (representing Ontonagon Golf Club) tied for second. Nancy Osier of Gogebic Country Club was fourth.
Wells, who is battling through injuries, played an unscored round she says was good but not great.
“We didn’t get to play the course yesterday (Sunday) because it got rained out,” Well said. “I just felt my way through it. There’s a lot of areas where you don’t use your driver … it’s definitely a position course.
“But (today) starts match play, and that’s a whole different ball game.”
Dansdill says she thrives in stroke play and succeeds by being steady – not necessarily the qualities needed to survive and advance in match play.
“It puts so much pressure on every putt,” Dansdill said. “My strength is going very steadily. You can blow up on one hole and it’s just one.”
That’s not the only worry: The forecast calls for chances of isolated showers and thunderstorms for the rest of the four-day tournament. With the St. Marys River on one side of the relatively treeless layout, any wind and rain would affect a course that has already caused golfers problems.
“The wind affects you, absolutely,” said Sandra Collins of the Sault, the tournament director and No. 6 seed after shooting an 88. “When the wind’s in your face, it’s a two-club course. This course doesn’t give you anything. You have to earn it.”
The lengthened layout – from 4,689 to 5,235 yards to meet UPLGA minimum standards, was not as much a problem on the front nine as the back nine, which starts off with five long par-4s. The ninth hole, which was already difficult to play before being increased by 98 yards, allowed just two pars and five bogeys from the 67-player field, with even golfers familiar with the course unsure of how to play it.
“I layed it up short like you’re supposed to do, and I still didn’t score well,” said Dansdill, who shot an eight on the hole.
“We were intimidated by a couple of the holes,” Wells said of her foursome of Nancy Osier of Gogebic, Cathy Kucherek of Ontonagon and Judy LaValley of Menominee River. “But it will get better as the week goes on.”
Even for golfers unused to the shorter layout, the beginning of the back nine was quite challenging.
“They felt they were a bit hard to reach,” Dansdill said. “They’re all good enough golfers. We were all scrambling a lot today.”
Monday’s scores
Dorothy Dansdill, Sault CC 85
Lisa LaCasse, Gladstone GC 86
Cathy Kucherak, Ontonagon GC 86
Nancy Osier, Gogebic CC 87
Karen McCorkle, Gladstone GC 88
Sandra Collins, Sault CC 88
Judy LaValley, Menominee River 90
Carolyn Bissonnette, Sault CC 90
Cathy Shamion, Ontonagon GC 92
Janet Sbar, Menominee North Shore 92
Janet Hruska, Marquette GC 93
Bernice King, Sault (Ont.) Root River 94
Debbie Sullivan, Sault (Ont.) GC 94
Mary Hart, Sault (Ont.) GC 95
Barb Blewett, Wawonowin CC 95
Tuesday’s matches
Championship flight
No. 1 Syd Wells vs. No. 16 Barb Blewitt
No. 2 Dorothy Dansdill vs. No. 15 Mary Hart
No. 3 Lisa LaCasse vs. No. 14 Bernice King
No. 4 Cathy Kucherak vs. No. 13 Debbie Sullivan
No. 5 Nancy Osier vs. No. 12 Janet Hruska
No. 6 Sandra Collins vs. No. 11 Janet Sbar
No. 7 Karen McCorkle vs. No. 10 Cathy Shamion
No. 8 Carolyn Bissonnette vs. No. 9 Judy LaValley
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