Stouffer Is U.S. Women's Senior Am Medalist; Klasse Advances to Match Play

SEATTLE, Wash. -- The top of the leaderboard for the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Women's Senior Amateur Championship looked like a Who's Who of women's golf this weekend. It starts with Shelly Stouffer, a 54-year-old former champion of this tournament (2022) from Vancouver Island in Canada. She took the lead in Saturday's first round at Broadmoor Golf Club with a 1-over-par 71, and then sealed the deal with a 73 on Sunday. Her 36-hole aggregate of 144 earned her medalist honors with only one stroke to spare.

Tying for second at 145 were Aussie Nadene Gole, a former No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and Brenda Corrie Kuehn. Kuehn, who finished second in this tournament last year, was the only player to break 70 over the weekend. She followed a first-round 76 with a 69 on Sunday. Gole tied Stouffer for the second-best score of the weekend with a 71, also on Sunday.

Another player shooting 71 Sunday was Canadian Judith Kyrinis, the 2017 champion. She tied three-time U.S. Women's Senior Am runner-up Sue Wooster, another Aussie, at 147.

It took a 36-hole medal-play score of 161 to make match play, although the eight players who shot 161s and tied for 59th will have to play off for six available spots on Monday morning.

The lone Minnesotan to advance was Leigh Klasse, the winner of more than 50 Minnesota state championships, plus a few from Arizona, where she spends her winters. She had a rough back nine on Sunday, with two bogeys, a double and a triple, but she salvaged a 78, which she shot for the second day in a row, and her two-day total of 156 put her in a tie for 29th.

She is the No. 31 seed and will play No. 34 Susan Curtin in the Round of 64. Like Klasse, Curtin qualified for match play by posting a pair of 78s for a 156 total.


U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship

At Broadmoor Golf Club

Par 70, 5,504 yards

Seattle, Wash.

Stroke-play qualifyiing (the top 64 advance to match play Monday morning)

1. Shelly Stouffer, Canada 71-73--144

T2. Nadene Gole, Australia 74-71--145

T2. Brenda Corrie Kuehn, Asheville, N.C. 76-69--145

T4. Judith Kyrinis, Canada 76-71--147

T4. Sue Wooster, Australia 74-73--147

6. Terrill Samuel, Candada 72-76--148

T29. Leigh Klasse, Cumberland, Wis. 78-78--156

Missed cut -- 161 (8-for-6 playoff Monday morning)

Andrea Kellar-Luther, Wayzata 81-83--164

Allison Hurley, Phoenix 84-86--170

Brenda Williams, Minnetonka 85-87--172