Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship Still Going Strong After More Than 50 Years

WORDS BY JEFF LOCKE

Founded by Joanne Winter, LPGA, in 1971, the tournament was launched to encourage competition for amateur women under age 24.

“There was no Junior Golf Association of Arizona, no American Junior Golf Association, and no Title IX – usually the other major championships were either for junior girls under 18 or national amateur events which consisted mainly of college girls. The two did not cross paths,” said Silver Belle Chair Peggy Briggs.

Today, the Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship is nationally recognized and included in amateur rankings conducted by World Amateur Golf, Golfweek, Golf Stat, Junior Golf Scoreboard and AJGA. In the early years the Silver Belle was played in summer months to take advantage of free or reduced green fees.

“The tournament grew into a large destination for high school, college, and even foreign players,” said former Silver Belle President Tina Huiskamp. “We moved the date to the winter holidays to accommodate these players with prep or NCAA restrictions. Families came, then stayed for holiday or football games. The Silver Belle has become a great tournament for young women. A win – even a good finish – is a high mark for any girl.”

In fact, college recruiters, who scout potential players while enjoying an Arizona holiday vacation, have become one of the largest groups of spectators at the tourna- ment. No doubt they had their eyes on this year’s talented eld.

In its 52nd year, the 2022 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship teed o at Sun City’s Briarwood Country Club, December 28-30, with a 90-player eld of top amateur women competing in a 54-hole, stroke play tournament.

Incredibly, Alice (Ziyi) Zhao – who entered the tournament in the 14 and Under Age Division – went on to also win the Overall Championship at -8. With rounds of 70-69-69, the Irvine, Calif.-resident topped Scottsdale’s Gracie McGovern (73-71-66), who ended up two strokes o the Overall Championship pace at -6. Her runner-up performance was fueled by a nal-round charge where she went 6-under par for ve holes (Nos. 6-10), including eagle-3 at No. 8. Two players tied for third place at -2: Olivia Duan of Cupertino, Calif. (72-73-69) and Amber Li of Bellevue, Wash. (70-7074). Phoenix’s Samantha Olsen notched a T10 nish in the Overall Championship at 1-over par after steady rounds 73-73-71, with nearly symmetrical bell-curve-type stats: 11 birdies, 32 pars, 10 bogeys and one double.

In addition to the Overall Championship, four age divisions were at the same time up for grabs. In the 17-18 Age Division McGovern’s -6 earned rst place while Olsen’s +1 put her in third. Ashley Shaw of Litch eld Park earned third place in the 14 and Under Age Division, T23 Overall, shooting 72-72-77 to nish at +5.

Winter possessed the drive and determination to turn her dream tournament into a reality. An outstanding multi-sport athlete inducted into both the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame and National Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame, she enthusiastically and opportunistically pulled resources together from wherever she could, and in 1971 the Arizona Silver Belle Championship was born.

“ e Silver Belle o ered Arizona and Southwestern young players a chance to compete and watch the best of women’s collegiate golf during the Title IX rst wave,” said Winter’s friend, Judy Loft eld Whitehouse, also an LPGA teaching professional. “It spurred our state’s high school players to learn more about college golf opportunities, and on top of all that, all the volunteers and Joanne herself made the tournament fun, exciting and memorable for the competitors from little girls to seasoned players. Like so many of Joanne’s brilliant and creative ideas, it was a huge success because of her drive to contribute to junior’s and women’s golf, her vision of what it would accomplish, and her knack for inspiring others to help bring it about.

“I’m so proud that Arizona was where Joanne made it happen and so admiring of her for getting it rolling and of all the volunteers who keep it a reality in her memory. It is a huge deal in our Arizona history!”

Visit AZSilverBelle.com to learn more.