GOLF
Barlette finds way to title
Par on first extra hole leads NEWGA’s youngest member to championship crown
By Pete Dougherty
Rachel Barlette hits a putt during the final round of the Northeastern Women’s Golf Association championship at Pinehaven. She won in a playoff.
Three-time winner Pat Mayne watches a putt fall during the final round of the NEWGA event.
rachel Barlette hits a tee shot in the final round at Pinehaven Country Club on thursday. She shot 83 to tie for first, then won in a playoff.
Guilderland
For 18 holes they shared a golf cart with a plastic shield separating them, but Rachel Barlette and Pat Mayne might just aswell have had a brick wall between them.
After the final round of the Northeastern Women’s Golf Association championship Thursday atPinehaven Country Club, neither golfer knew where she stood in relation to the other.
Turns out they were even.
They advanced to a sudden-death playoff, where Barlette, a member at Shaker Ridge, parred the first extra hole to break the deadlock and win her first NEWGA championship.
“I thought I was tied with Sue (Kahler, the other player in the threesome),” Barlette said. “I didn’t realize I was going to a playoff with Pat.”
“We were all within one or two (shots) the whole way around,” said Mayne, who plays out of Western Turnpike, “but I thought I was tied with Sue. I wasn’t sure about Rachel, and I realized that we had the wrong score in one of the holes, then I thought all three of us were tied.”
The vibe among the final group was pessimistic, since none of the three thought she was playing particularly well.
Mayne, the first-round co-leader with Kahler, had an 85. Kahler came in a stroke higher, and Barlette — two shots behind to start the day — carded an 83.
As it turned out, they were tied heading to the 18th hole, which Barlette and Mayne parred while Kahler bogeyed.
“It wasn’t our best round by any means,” said Barlette, who shot 80 on Wednesday. “ I knew throughout the round it wasn’t going to be a score for the books, but I said just hang in there.
Everbody’s in the same boat nobody’s playing great and just stick with it. That’s what I tried to do.”
On the playoff hole, both players came up short on their approach shots, though Mayne still had 30 yards to the green.
“I had an awkward stance,” Mayne said of her second shot. “I couldn’t really take a full stance because it was too close to the edge of the bunker, so I ended up chunking the shot. I figured you’ve got to make par, and I just didn’t get it done.”
Barlette was short and left of the putting surface. She chipped within seven feet and drained the putt for a par and the victory.
Kahler, who tied for third with Pinehaven’s Mary Scatena, was the defending champion. Mayne, 58, has three titles, but none since 2010. She lived out of the area much of that time.
“They’re both phenomenal golfers, and I certainly was the underdog,” said Barlette, at 33 the youngest NEWGA member. “Just to play with this incredible group of women is great.”
First flight x—won sudden-death playoff on first hole x-RachelBarlette(ShakerRidge) 80-83—163 PatMayne(WesternTurnpike) 78-85—163 SueKahler(BallstonSpa) 78-86—164 MaryScatena(Pinehaven) 84-80—164 HeidiHarkins(BallstonSpa) 83-83—166 AnneVanBuren(Pinehaven) 81-86—167 KathyHarkins(BallstonSpa) 93-85—178 MaryDiefendorf(Canajoharie) 87-92—179 JennDilorio(BurdenLake) 89-91—180 NancyKroll(Leatherstocking) 91-93—184 AnnieOakley(Windham) 101-92—193
Second flight
HeatherMorrison(BurdenLake) 93-88—181 LindaKolnick(Canajoharie) 94-90—184 CindyWalkanowski(BallstonSpa) 95-91—186 MaryCorrigan(WesternTurnpike) 94-98—192 JoyceBassett(BallstonSpa) 98-97—195 SandraWeckter(Pinehaven) 96-99—195 Kathy Canestrini (Western Turnpike) 94-102—196 DebLangevin(Cobleskill) 96-102—198 SandyMorley(BurdenLake) 97-102—199 CeleneMcManus(Colonie) 97-110—207 DebDiMaggio(BallstonSpa) 107-101—208
Third flight
JudyMysliborski(Pinehaven) 98-94—192 BonnieSt.Denis(Pinehaven) 96-98—194 NoreenLeonard(WesternTurnpike) 97-101—198 DebraGordon(Colonie) 102-98—200 ChristineMcKnight(McGregor) 104-96—200 DonnaHeskett(BurdenLake) 99-104—203 JamieHall(Pinehaven) 103-102—205 BetsyBaker(Canajoharie) 105-107—212 AnnCasey(Windham) 112-100—212 KellyGordon(VanSchaick) 109-109—218
Fourth flight
MaryAssey(BallstonSpa) 100-96—196 CarolPreusser(Copake) 99-99—198 Liz Santa Barbara (Western Turnpike) 105-105—210 MaryEllenMilos(Pinehaven) 100-112—212 MyraJohnson(BurdenLake) 113-107—220 DianeBusa(Copake) 113-108—221 SelenaBalick(ShakerRidge) 112-110—222 MichelleRyan(Cobleskill) 108-121—229 LynnCummings(Pinehaven) 115-115—230 NancyVanDeusen(Cobleskill) 118-117—235
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Dougherty