Marian Barker (TGA photo)
HOUSTON (Oct. 17, 2018) – Marian Barker of Lubbock shot a final-round 77 on Wednesday to cap off a wire-to-wire victory at the 2018 Women’s Senior Stroke Play Championship. Barker won by six strokes after shooting rounds of 74-76-77 for a 227. This marks her third career victory at this event and her first since winning back-to-back in 2008-09. However, that didn’t make the victory any less important to her.
“This is such a prestigious event, and you look at the names on the trophy,” Barker said. “It’s pretty special.”
Stephanie Blount tied for the low round of the tournament with a 74 on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Barker’s sterling performance. Blount finished second, six strokes behind. Jan Rapp and Meg Christensen finished tied for third, and Marlene Summers came in fifth.
Wet and cold conditions were prevalent throughout the 54-hole event, making it tough for the field to go low. Barker was the only player to shoot all three rounds in the 70s. She said her hometown conditions might have given her the advantage she needed to play so well all week.
“I practice and play in Lubbock,” she said with a laugh. “So it really wasn’t all that different.”
That familiarity gave her all the confidence she needed. Her goal on each hole was just to hit the ball solidly, get on the green and two-putt. Clearly, her plan worked. It worked so well, in fact, that she entered the final round in an unfamiliar position.
“I had never been in a place where I had a nine-shot lead,” she said. “It was kind of uncomfortable.”
If she did feel nerves with a big lead, it didn’t reflect in her play. She attributes that to sticking to her game plan and taking it one hole at a time.
After winning her fourth Texas Golf Association state championship, Barker has her sights set on something bigger.
“I’d like to try for the (U.S. Women’s) Senior Open someday,” Barker said.
Jan Rapp, who finished tied for third overall, won the Super Senior division (65-70) by 37 strokes after shooting an overall total of 240, highlighted by a final round score of 76. She finished her week on a high note with consecutive birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
In the Super Super Senior Division (71+), Pam Almandoz came back in the final round to knock off two-time defending champion Nannette Wheelis. Almandoz shot a final-round 83 to win comfortably in her division. She was all smiles after her strong finish in her first ever TGA championship.
View results for Texas Women's Senior Stroke Play
ABOUT THE Texas Women's Senior Stroke Play
Eligibility: Entries are open to female amateur
golfers with a
certified GHIN
Handicap Index, and who are 50 years of age or
older by the first
round of the
Championship.
Player Field: The starting field will consist of 96
players. In the
event the
championship becomes over-subscribed, entries will
be accepted in
order of
handicap index.
Format: The championship will be a 54 hole stroke
play
championship. Upon
completion of Round 2, the field will be broken into
flights based on
36-hole scores.
View Complete Tournament Information