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 From left to right: Lois Eriksen, honorary captain; Sharon Park, Maki Kamimura and Kathy Kurata. (PHOTO: Akitoshi Kamimura) When the 2009 Women’s State Team Championship got underway on September 1, three Southland golfers teed it up for California. They were Maki Kamimura of West Covina, Sharon Park of Irvine, and Kathy Kurata of Pasadena. Lois Eriksen of Ukiah, in Northern California, attended as honorary captain. This year marked Park and Kurata’s second appearance at the championship., and tt was the first USGA event for Kamimura. A recent graduate of San Diego State University and a member of the women’s golf team there, Kamimura said playing in the team championship was special because she was able to share the experience with her father, Akitoshi, who served as her caddie. Each of the women mentioned how well organized the USGA event was. Each also praised the host course; the par-72 Jack Nicklaus designed Sycamore Hills Golf Club near Fort Wayne, Ind. “The course has a beautiful layout,” Kurata said. “The wide fairways are very forgiving, but they narrow to the greens and you have to be accurate and have a strong short game.” “It was not particularly long,” said Park of the 6,100-yard layout, “but it was challenging.” She said the greens played firm, making approach shots tricky. The course superintendent kept the greens rolling between 10.5 and11 on the Stimpmeter for the tournament. “The rough was so lush and thick,” Kamimura said, “that if you dribbled off into the rough, even just a little bit, it was hard to make an up-and-down.” The three Californians – all past collegiate golfers – were impressed with the competition’s field, which featured players ranging in age from 14-year-old Kacie Komoto from Hawaii to Jean Smith, 68, of Idaho. Although current college golfers are not eligible to compete in the event under NCAA rules, the field included eight USGA champions and five Curtis Cup members. Seven golfers who played on victorious teams in past women’s state team championships also participated this year. The event is designed to draw the best players from each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, although each entity selects its team differently. To qualify in California, women golfers compete in the annual California Women’s Championship (CWC), a three-day stroke-play tournament typically held in July for California residents only. Points are awarded based on performance, and the three eligible players with the highest two-year total make up the state team. The players’ and captain’s expenses to participate in the Women’s State Team Championship are covered by the memberships of the Pacific, San Diego County, Northern California and Southern California women’s golf associations, which also are CWC co-sponsors. For this year’s event, the players flew from their local airports and met up in Chicago for the connecting flight to Indiana. Eriksen, met them at the airport in Fort Wayne. “Sycamore Hills Golf Club members also greeted us at the airport,” said Eriksen, “and they took such good care of us the whole time we were there.” The team rented a car, stayed at the same hotel and ate meals together. And while they played in different pairings, each felt some pressure in playing for their team and state as well as their own pride. Noting that it’s the same in college golf, Kamimura said, “Whatever you do, you don’t give up, because your score might be the one the team needs.” The best two individual scores combine for the team’s total each day. At the end of the tournament, the California team placed eighth of 49 teams with a score of 460. Georgia won with a four-over-par total of 436. Alabama (445) and Hawaii (447) took second and third, respectively. All three of Park’s scores (76-82-73) counted, as did Kurata’s first two scores (75-74) and Kamimura’s third (80). The best part of the event, according to Park and echoed by the others, was to meet up with women golfers of all ages from across the country. At the national USGA competitions, she said, “It’s inspiring to see other people who are there because they love the game.” All of this year’s participants would encourage other amateur women golfers to try to qualify. For details about the California Women’s Championship, visit cwcgolf.org. The next USGA Women’s State Team Championship will be held at The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga., Oct. 4-6, 2011. More information is available at usga.org. ALSO SEE: Bittick, Mickelson selected for men’s State Team Championship |
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