Final Round Charge Nets Smego and Brannon the 30th Pacific Northwest Women’s Senior Team Championship Title

Sunriver, Ore. (September 19, 2012) – Lisa Smego of Olympia, Wash. and Karen Brannon of Redmond, Wash. erased a one stroke deficit with a final round 3-under-par 68 to overtake Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho and Shawna Ianson of Boise, Idaho and win the 30th Pacific Northwest Women’s Senior Team Championship.

Playing on the Meadows Course at Sunriver Resort, Smego and Brannon began their round with nine straight pars to make the turn at even-par 35 for the day and 4-under-par for the championship. Despite the lack of birdies, they remained just one stroke behind Markle and Ianson, who turned at even-par 35 as well. The back nine proved to be the difference, though, as Smego and Brannon birdied the 10th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes en route to a final round of 3-under-par 68, good enough to sneak past Markle and Ianson for the two stroke victory.

Markle and Ianson simply could not get enough going on the back nine to keep up. The two teams remained tied for the lead at 5-under-par through 13 holes, but Smego and Brannon followed a Markle and Ianson bogey on 14 with a birdie of their own to take their first lead. The two stroke cushion would be enough, as Smego and Brannon finished with a three day total of 7-under-par 207. Brannon and Ianson finished alone in second at 5-under-par 209 for the championship.

Four-time defending champions Ginny Burkey of Fircrest, Wash. and Loree McKay of Hillsboro, Ore. finished in a tie for third at even-par 214 with Rachel Whittington of Lake Oswego, Ore. and Nancy Eglin of Yakima, Wash.

Judi Mendoza of Olympia, Wash. and Pauline Welker of DuPont, Wash. claimed the net title with a three-day net total of 22-under-par 192.

The first round was played in Four-Ball format on the Woodlands Course, the second round was played in Chapman Stroke Play format on the Meadows Course, and the final round was played in Four-Ball format, also on the Meadows Course.

The 2012 PNGA championship season concludes October 1-2 with the Pacific Northwest Senior and Super Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, to be played concurrently at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, Wash.