Everything was going so swimmingly for Lauren Steates Cupp on Tuesday as she prepared to close out the 21st Post-Standard Women’s Amateur on her first attempt.
Beginning the final round with a two-stroke advantage over her four closest pursurers, the 26-year-old elementary school teacher from Rome widened the gap to four shots over five-time champion Teresa “T” Cleland with a flawless, 2-under-par 34 on Highland Park’s gentle front nine. As other challengers fell back, Cupp quickly gained two more strokes on Cleland when she parred holes 10 through 12 and Cleland bogeyed two of the three.
And then, with a lofty, six-shot edge and only six holes remaining, Highland Park’s anything-can-happen back nine gave Cupp something to think about.
Settling her tee shot safely on the tranquil par-3 13th, Cupp uncharacteristically rocketed her first putt nearly 20 feet past the hole. It led to a four-putt double-bogey – and a two-shot swing in Cleland’s favor. Rattled, Cupp three-putted for bogeys on the next two holes, losing three more strokes of her lead as Cleland birdied and parred.
With momentum and all but one stroke of her once-generous lead gone, the tide suddently turned back in Cupp’s favor on the tricky par-5 16th hole. There, Cupp gained two strokes back with a par to Cleland’s double-bogey, which was the result of a seemingly perfect drive that wound up behind the course’s most unpopular tree – the one fronting the middle of a pond that must be crossed to reach the green.
When both parred the final two holes, Cupp was a very relieved three-stroke winner following back-to-back rounds of 74 at Cortland Country Club and Highland Park.
“I made it interesting,” said Cupp, who plays out of Yahnundasis Golf Club and Rome Country Club, where her newlywed husband, Wes Cupp, is the general manager and club pro. “I was smiling just a few holes before and then, all of a sudden, it slipped away.”
Cupp said the four-putt on 13 caused her to lose confidence with her putting stroke on challenging greens that she was seeing for the first time.
“The greens really got to me on the back side,” she said. “Putts that I thought would be quick weren’t fast and putts that I thought were uphill seemed to go downhill on me. It was a comedy of errors, really.”
Cupp, a former volleyball and track and field athlete at Hamilton College, said two things helped turn her game around just in time to win: the recognition that most rounds of golf have rocky moments and the fact that she was walking the course while the other three in her group were using carts.
“Walking slows me down and gives me time to get over the bad shots,” she said. “I just told myself , you’re going to get it together, you’re going to get back and start making pars.”
As for Cleland, who was seeking her third consecutive P-S Women’s Amateur title, she was surprised that she even had a chance to win after Cupp’s front-nine 34.
“On the front side, I felt there wasn’t even a glimmer of hope of catching Lauren because she was playing so well,” said Cleland, a 52-year-old physical education teacher from Syracuse. “And then, when I finally had the chance, I made a 7 (at 16). Go figure.”
Cleland’s runner-up 151 total on rounds of 76-75 was matched by Lauren Petty, who capped her high school career at Baldwinsville by winning the Section III and state girls championships this spring. She closed with a 74 to share daily medalist honors with Cupp and Rebecca Studin.
In addition to the open scratch division, awards were given to winners in five other categories: senior scratch, Michelle Marquis (156); open handicap, Deborah Elderbroom (137 net); senior handicap, Dulce Fernandez (129 net); junior scratch 15-18, Lauren Petty (151); and junior scratch 14-under, Brianna Sovring (191).
Post-Standard Women’s Amateur
Following are results from the 21st Post-Standard Women’s Amateur, played Monday and Tuesday at Cortland Country Club and Highland Park. Both courses played to par of 72 for women. Competition was held in six divisions:
Lauren Cupp 74-74—148
Teresa Cleland 76-75-151
Ali Wakefield 76-78—154
Carina Watkins 76-78—154
Rebecca Studin 81-74—155
Melinda Kuhn 88-92—180
Megan Fallon 92-89—181
Michelle Marquis 80-76—156
Sharyn Costello 79-78—157
Sue Sims 82-79—161
Karen Fitzgerald 86-87—173
JoAnn Shupe 94-81—175
Junior Scratch (15-18)
Lauren Petty 77-74—151
Mary Fletcher 76-77—153
Kara Capstraw 87-76—163
Molly Hair 91-87—178
Donella Allison 99-93—192
Junior Scratch (14-under)
Brianna Sovring 96-95—191
Open Handicap net (gross)
Deborah Elderbroom 70-67—137 (180)
Liz Gaulin 68-69—137 (163)
Janis Luce 71-68—139 (171)
Sheila Fallon 72-75—147 (179)
Tina King 74-76—150 (181)
Kristine Levy 77-77—154 (184)
Sheila Hovey 73-84—157 (214)
Louanne Pontecorvo 83-77—160 (190)
Karen Schmidt 82-78—160 (178)
Senior Handicap net (gross)
Dulce Fernandez 63-66—129 (194)
Cindy Wilson 71-68—139 (173)
Beverly Conkling 70-70—140 (174)
Grace Grosso 67-74—141 (171)
Terri Fox 68-76—144 (201)
Bev Keyes 72-73—145 (179)
Peg Dolan 77-71—148 (174)
Joann Loren 71-78—149 (217)
Ellen Booth 82-70—152 (201)
Mimi Loboda-Stuber 81-72—153 (185)
Alice Scott 79-80—159 (202)
Doris Vickery 80-82—162 (191)