BRUTUS – Julie Massa of Holt finally checked the leaderboard at hole No. 17 and saw she had a two-shot lead.
“And on 17 I hit my third shot – it’s a par 5 – in the bunker and got up and down to save par,” she said. “So I knew going to 18 that I just had to play smart and so I did.”
She smartly birdied No. 18 to shoot a final-round 75 for 148 total and won the 24th GAM Women’s Senior Championship at Hidden River Golf Club with a three-shot cushion.
It was the second Women’s Senior Championship win for Massa, who won her first in 2017, also at Hidden River.
“I really enjoy this golf course,” she said. “It’s a challenge, but you get rewarded for good shots, and it’s just beautiful up here so I enjoy playing here and coming here.”
Massa elected and set to be inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame next spring, and the GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year for five consecutive years, had to hold off a trio of past champions in the championship.
Shelly Weiss, the 2018 champion, and two-time champion Terry Delcamp finished second at 151. Weiss closed with a 74 and Delcamp a 78. Five-time champion Joan Garety was next at 152 with a final 75.
Lori Schlicher of Lewiston shot 73 to rally and finish at 153 in fifth place, and another two-time former champion, Barb Schmid of Grand Rapids, was sixth at 155 with a 79.
Massa said her game wasn’t 100 percent coming to Hidden River, but things worked out over the two days.
“At times I hit some great shots and at times I made mistakes out there but I seemed to putt pretty decent both days and made some birdies to help,” she said.
Massa said winning another Senior Women’s title means a lot to her.
“It’s always a good field with a lot of competitive players and winning the Sara Wold trophy means a lot to me because she has done so much for the game,” she said. “It’s an honor.”
Massa said she was thrilled when her playing group was announced on the first tee on Monday. She was paired with Delcamp and Garety. Chris Whitten, the GAM executive director, was the starter who announced the pairing.
“He announces Terry who has won two of these and then he announced Joan who has won five and I’m like this is just amazing. I felt like a little kid with only one.”
And now, two.
