QuailTrails Fall 2019
s
Quail Creek Country Club Newsletter
Championship Special Edition
Recap of the 2019 championship, held April 27-May 1 at Timuquana CC in Jacksonville, FL
A perfect example of the of the quality of golf we will have the pleasure of watching The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship will bring some of the most exciting golf ever to Quail Creek CC. One hundred and twenty-eight of some of the best amateur women golfers in the country-and some from overseas-will converge on the challenging Arthur Hills designed layout to test their skills on the back nine of the Creek Course and the back nine of the Quail Course (designated the Championship Course) over five days of stroke play and match play.
Shepherd captured the 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, MO, and she drew from that experience, while also counseling her partner on what it would take to win five matches in three days.
The 2019 championship, held April 27-May 1 at Timuquana CC in Jacksonville, FL, was a perfect example of the of the quality of golf we will have the pleasure of watching. In April, No. 5 seeds Megan Furtney and Erica Shepherd made 11 birdies overall as they won two 18-hole matches on the final day to capture the 5th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, FL, a course similar in many ways to QCCC.
Furtney certainly looked like she was ready to win one, making back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 of the final to give her side a lead that never dipped below 2 up from the fifth hole onward.
Furtney and Shepherd, both 18, and both headed to Duke University in the fall, defeated No. 8 seeds Amari Avery and Alexa Pano, 4 and 3, in the morning semifinals, then outlasted No. 27 seeds Jillian Bourdage and Casey Weidenfeld, 2 and 1, in the 18-hole final. 2
Quail Trails ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Fall 2019
“This is Megan’s first time making it all the way through something this big, and I think she handled it great,” said Shepherd. “She looks like she’s won a USGA championship before.”
“On 2 and 3, the pin placements fit my ball flight really well,” said Furtney, who reached the semifinals with Shepherd in this event last year at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif. “I like to hit a high draw into greens, and both of those were tucked left. The first birdie on No. 2, I was in the fairway bunker. I went up one club, and I knew if I just got it up high it would be tight. That’s what I was able to do.” On No. 3, Furtney knocked a wedge inside of 10 feet and converted again.
The 2020 Championship will be a tremendous opportunity to be “inside the ropes” to watch how these talented golfers handle the challenges of Quail Creek as well as the pressures of competing on the nation’s largest stage for this prestigious event. No. 27-seeded Bourdage and Weidenfeld knocked off the No. 2 seeds, Sadie Englemann and Rachel Heck, in Wednesday’s morning semifinals, outlasting them in 20 holes. Their opponents rallied from a two-hole deficit to square the match on No. 15, and after four holes halved in pars, Weidenfeld made a demanding two-putt par to advance.
After they traded birdie wins with Bourdage and Weidenfeld on Nos. 4 and 5, Furtney and Shepherd went 3 up with another birdie on the par-4 seventh. Their opponents were unable to dent the lead as five consecutive holes were halved, although there were chances. “I had a good amount of putts drop for me earlier in the day, and then I just was skimming the rim all afternoon, just so close,” said Weidenfeld, 16, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., who will attend Auburn starting in 2021. “None of them dropped, but that’s golf.” After Weidenfeld knocked it close on No. 10 for a conceded birdie, Furtney made a 10-footer to maintain the three-hole advantage. On the next hole, Bourdage had an opportunity to chip away at the lead when she knocked her approach to about 6 feet, but her effort slipped past the left edge.
Furtney and Shephard shot 68-67 in weekend stroke play for a 9-under-par total of 135, five strokes behind record-setting medalists Faith Choi and Aneka Seumanutafa, who shot 12-under 60 in Round 1 and a 36-hole total of 14-under 130, both championship records. The champions’ longest match this week was a quarterfinal battle against Caroline Curtis and Ashley Gilliam that went 19 holes, with Shepherd making a birdie that advanced them into Wednesday’s semifinals. The 2020 Championship will be a tremendous opportunity to be “inside the ropes” to watch how these talented golfers handle the challenges of Quail Creek as well as the pressures of competing on the nation’s largest stage for this prestigious event.
“They both played so amazing today,” said Bourdage of their foes. “Their putting was on fire and they were just dropping birdies.” “Yeah, we tried our best to keep up,” said Weidenfeld, who has already written two books. “I mean, we got all the way to 17, so I guess we did pretty well.”
Fall 2019 ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Quail Trails
3
The Side to Watch in 2020 Riding the Momentum to the Championship If you want to see some great golf being played at Quail Creek CC, make sure you plan to join us to watch the 6th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship April 25-29, 2020. The 2019 championship offered a good example when a pair of Maryland teenagers, Aneka Seumanutafa and Faith Choi, made U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball history on Saturday, blitzing Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, FL for a 12-under-par 60 in the first round of stroke play in the fifth edition of the championship. The previous 18-hole stroke-play record was 64, which had been accomplished twice: by Brittany Fan and Esther Lee in Round 2 at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, SC, in 2017, and by Yachun Chang and Lei Ye in Round 1 at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, CA, in 2018. They did it despite Seumanutafa not having seen the course before she teed it up on Saturday morning. The 18-year-old from Emmitsburg, MD, led the way with 10 of the side’s 12 birdies on a bogey-free card over the 6,238-yard layout designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1923. “I have experience at Pinehurst No. 2,” said Seumanutafa, who won the 2017 North & South Girls’ Junior title on that classic Ross design. On Saturday, the two-time Maryland women’s amateur champion reeled off birdies on holes 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10 through 15. None of the birdie putts the duo converted was longer than 10 feet, and Choi narrowly missed a birdie from 10 feet on the par-4 18th that would given them a round of 59. She contributed birdies on Nos. 1 and 6. “Because I had a college final, I just flew in this morning and got my information from her,” said Seumanutafa, who was home-schooled and enrolled at Ohio State University in January. “I’m a long hitter, so I had a lot of wedges in.” 4
Quail Trails ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Fall 2019
“To be honest, this is our first time playing fourball,” said Choi, 16, of Frederick, MD, who is also home-schooled and has committed to Ohio State in 2020. She got in one practice round on Friday at Timuquana, and the two pointed to Choi’s consistency and Seumanutafa’s aggressive play as their trademarks. “We’ve practiced and played a lot of junior golf together as teammates, but not necessarily as partners.” Seumanutafa has one more final exam next week in Columbus before she competes with her Buckeye teammates in the Washington Regional of the NCAA Championships. But first, she and Choi will try to ride the momentum of this glorious start all the way to the championship. Julia Potter-Bobb and Kelsey Chugg, a pair of U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champions, had the second-best score of the day, a 7-under 65. Three sides finished at 6-under 66, including two from the host state of Florida: Jillian Bourdage and Casey Weidenfeld; and Madison Hewlett and Jacqueline Putrino. It will be exciting to watch how these highly talented golfers handle the challenges and the risk/reward opportunities presented by the Quail Creek Championship Course.
The Four-Ball Format
How the Four-Ball Championship is Played, Scored and Won The 2020 USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship will give us an opportunity to see some great shot making on the Championship Course at Quail Creek CC. The four-ball format encourages the players to ‘go for broke’ at times but also requires them to make some conscious decisions on when to play conservatively and when to take a risk. The four-ball format pairs two golfers in a team (called a side) who then play their own ball on each hole. The best score of the two then is the score recorded for the side on that hole. Two sides make up a foursome - hence the name “four-ball.” The USGA Championship will be played in two phases. The first phase is two days (36 holes) of stroke play. Sixty-four sides will tee it up on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday the 26 to see which 32 sides shoot the lowest scores in order to make it into the final match play phase. If there is a tie for the 32nd spot, there will be a sudden death playoff Sunday afternoon to determine which side(s) qualify. The top 32 sides in the stroke play will be seeded into a single elimination bracket that begins on Monday the 27.
In the match play phase, the top side from the stroke play phase will play the 32nd finisher in a hole-by-hole match. The side that records the lowest score on a given hole is awarded one point. If the sides tie, no points are awarded. The match continues until one side closes out the match by having more points than there are holes left (i.e. three-point lead with two holes left to play). If the sides are tied after 18 holes, the match goes to sudden death. Sixteen matches (32 sides) will compete on Monday. Eight matches (16 sides) will be played Tuesday morning and four matches will be played Tuesday afternoon. The two semifinal matches will be played on Wednesday morning followed by the Championship match on Wednesday afternoon. Stroke play and match play each demand different strategies and the risk/reward opportunities presented by the Championship Course at Quail Creek will make for some extremely exciting golf.
Fall 2019 ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Quail Trails
5
Start Young Play Forever
Thor Parrish, PGA
How can a sport like golf be the key to a child living a life full of enjoyment? It’s simple, the game connects all types of people and builds a strong moral compass. Golf teaches etiquette, discipline and respect on the course and in life. Golf also does much more. Golf helps fight the largest epidemic to hit our nation in years. For the first time in history, the most recent generation of kids in America has a five-year lower life span due to a lack of physical activity and obesity.
Our coaches use TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) golf fitness games in class. These exercises and games keep the program fun and help develop fundamental movement patterns for our golfers. Our older juniors (ages eight and over) participate in a Junior Fitness Class every Wednesday at the Club’s gym. These kids are learning far more than just being good golfers, they are learning skills that will keep them playing for a lifetime!
Put yourself in the shoes of an eight-year old today. What are some of your favorite things? How do you like to spend your free time? Most importantly, where is the iPhone? Now think about what you would choose to do with your day. Play with your friends. Run around the yard. Just be a kid and have fun! Every year it gets harder for kids to do those things. School is more difficult, homework consumes all free time and it seems there is an ever-increasing amount of pressure. Because of this, kids are defaulting to low effort activities like video games.
Some members of the Junior Fitness Class are QCCC family Members: Grant and Sean Adamczyk, Austin and Matt Cammuso and Chris Forthsye. All these athletes can be seen around the course and in the gym. Just last week all five of these junior golfers broke their personal best record on the mile run! At Quail Creek CC we are creating a group of talented young athletes, growing the game of golf and helping kids stay healthy to play for life!
The Junior Golf Performance Academy at Quail Creek CC looks to solve that problem. We offer golf programs that kids not only learn from, but that they truly enjoy and keeps them active and healthy! Our Academy has a strong belief that golfers are athletes just like any other sport. Our junior athletes take their health very seriously, but to an observer, it just looks like they are having fun! 6
Quail Trails ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Fall 2019
Keep posted as these programs are expanded not only for the “Junior Quails” of QCCC but for the adult Members as well in the brand-new Sports Center & Spa! Let’s work hard to Play for Life, Thor Parrish, PGA
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS– Championship consists of 64 teams (sides) April 23 – 24 . . . . . . Practice rounds April 25 – 26 . . . . . . Stroke Play qualifying April 27 . . . . . . . . . . . Match Play: 32 teams (sides) April 28. . . . . . . . . . . Match Play: Morning – 16 teams (sides); Afternoon – 8 teams (sides) April 29. . . . . . . . . . . Semi-Final: Morning – 4 teams (sides); Championship: Afternoon – 2 teams (sides)
Club Activity During the Championship Quail Creek Country Club is honored to be chosen to host the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Hosting this National Championship will require some disruption of our normal activity. Highlighted below, are a few of the planned changes to the Club operations during the Championship. As we get closer to the date of the event and the construction progresses, we will update the Membership of any changes.
GOLF Several weeks prior to the start of the Championship, course layouts will be adjusted to the Championship Course (Back of Creek and Back of Quail) and the Member Course (Front of Creek and Front of Quail). The Member Course will remain open for Member play through Friday, April 24. On Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, there will be no course open for Member play. From Monday, April 27, through Wednesday, April 29, the front of the Member Course (Creek front) will re-open for Member and guest play (9 Hole rounds only). All Practice Facilities will be closed beginning Wednesday, April 22 and will re-open Thursday, April 30. Reciprocal offerings at select facilities will be available throughout the week of the Championship. A complete list of facilities and availability will be released once it is finalized.
CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE CART ACCESS During the week of the Championship, all private and club owned golf carts will be restricted from entering the Championship Course. Any member who lives on the Championship Course wishing to use their private cart as transportation to the Club must use the paved roadways in the neighborhood throughout the Championship. A private cart parking area near the clubhouse will be designated during the Championship week.
DINING Throughout the USGA Championship Member dining will remain available and operate under normal business hours, except for evening dining on Friday, April 24 and Sunday, April 26. There will be no Member dining available these two evenings. The Cypress Room, Quail Room and Oak Room will be closed for the Championship Wednesday, April 22 through Wednesday, April 29. Dinner typically served on April 23 in the Cypress Room will be served in the Greenside Grille. The Creekside Café (Halfway House) will be open for normal service throughout the Championship.
Fall 2019 ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Quail Trails
7
Club Activity During the Championship - continued FITNESS
PARKING
The Fitness Center will be open with normal hours of operation. The Fitness Center will be open to all participants throughout the Championship week. Additionally, our Staff will be offering massage and fitness training to all Championship participants on an as available basis (Members first). We expect to use one of the exercise rooms as the medical and wellness headquarters for the Championship which may require group exercise classes to be adjusted. On Friday, April 24 the Sports Center & Spa will be closed beginning at approximately 3:00 pm to prepare for a private reception for Supporters and guests with our special guest speaker, former LPGA star Jane Blalock. More details on appointments, etc. will be available as we get closer to the date.
The Club is typically challenged during large events and this will be no different.
BRIDGE, MAJONG & CARD GAMES
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Championship Committee, we would like to thank you, our Membership, in advance for allowing these great players from around the country to participate in this prestigious Championship at Quail Creek Country Club. For one week, we will be showcasing our Country Club to the nation and all our guests.
There will be a parking attendant at the entrance of the parking lot to direct traffic, beginning Thursday, April 23. There will be designated areas for participants, USGA Officials, USGA Staff and Supporters and credentials will be provided for parking. There will also be some limited Member parking available. Additional information will be provided as we get closer to the Championship.
SIGNAGE
During Championship week, we will have USGA signage displayed throughout the Clubhouse, Sports Center & Spa, parking lot and various TENNIS areas of our grounds to direct Members, players The Tennis Center will be open. However, and guests. Most of the rooms in the main Clubbecause Creek No. 10 tee will be used as the house will be repurposed for the week of the No. 1 tee for the Championship, all courts on the Championship. USGA signage will be prominently south side closest to the golf course will be closed displayed throughout the building and grounds during the Championship beginning Saturday, to assist the Members, players and guests to the April 25. All courts will reopen Thursday, April 30. various places they need to go. Once we know which rooms and what space will be used in the Clubhouse, we will advise Members of what space will be available. The upstairs of the Clubhouse will be closed to Members beginning Friday, April 24 to prepare for the Players’ Dinner. Additional information will be provided as we get closer to the Championship.
LOCKER ROOMS The USGA Women Officials and players will be occupying the Women’s Locker Room starting Tuesday, April 21. The Women’s Locker Room will reopen Thursday, April 30. The male USGA Officials will be utilizing space in the Men’s Locker Room. Guidance on emptying lockers will be provided as we get closer to the Championship. 8
Quail Trails ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Fall 2019
Experience the Championship by being a Volunteer! Volunteer Registration is Now Open! QUAIL CREEK COUNTRY CLUB is honored to host the 6th U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP and Collier County’s first-ever USGA event scheduled for APRIL 25 – 29, 2020. The USGA conducts the competition and will have over 50 USGA Officials and Staff here during the Championship. At the 2019 Championship, there were 10 Countries, 30 States and nine USGA Champions represented in the field of 128 players. VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! There are many volunteer positions in this prestigious Women’s Amateur golf event:
Player Registration
Marshals/Forecaddies
Walking Scorers
Caddies Parking/Transportation Evacuation
Player Hospitality
Register to become a volunteer at www.QuailcreekCC.com/four-ball Volunteers are an integral part of the Championship’s ultimate success. Volunteering is a fun and enjoyable way to experience the Championship and we are seeking volunteers to ensure a first-class event. You don’t have to be a golfer to volunteer and may volunteer for as much or as little time as you wish. All volunteers will receive a branded shirt, hat or visor and breakfast and/or lunch. As with most championships, there is a charge of $75 to each volunteer to cover costs. Volunteers will also receive an invitation to participate in the Appreciation Golf Outing at Quail Creek Country Club following the Championship. For more information and questions about volunteering contact: Linda Bunch Chair, Volunteer Center quailvolunteers@gmail.com
Fall 2019 ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Quail Trails
9
BE A PART OF HISTORY! JOIN US IN SUPPORT OF THE 6TH U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUAIL CREEK COUNTRY CLUB - APRIL 25-29, 2020 All levels include a private reception with 27-Time LPGA Tour winner Jane Blalock and signage at the Championship Become a Supporter today by returning the pledge card. Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, FL has been selected by the United States Golf Association as the host site for the 6th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship to be held April 25-29, 2020. This will be the first USGA event to come to Collier County. This major event is a national championship steeped in history and tradition. It has been played exclusively at some of the best golf courses in America to include Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Streamsong near Lakeland, Florida, The Dunes Club in South Carolina, El Cabellero Country Club near Los Angeles, California and most recently, Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida. Quail Creek Country Club, which opened for play on December 7, 1981, boasts two championship courses designed by internationally renowned golf course architect, Arthur Hills. This event will highlight 128 outstanding women golfers comprising 64 teams competing in stroke play the first two days. The low 32 teams with the lowest combined gross score over Saturday and Sunday will advance to match play beginning Monday morning. Five 18 hole matches will determine the champions. While this event will highlight these women and the coordinated efforts of sizable USGA staff and USGA Rules officials, this event will also highlight those Supporters and Volunteers whose support is critical to making an event of this magnitude possible. We invite you to become a part of golf history by becoming a Supporter of this National Championship. See the next page for the benefits of becoming a Supporter. If you have any questions, please contact Bill Flowers, Co-Chairman: 804-370-9474 wflowers0523@gmail.com 10
Quail Trails ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Fall 2019
GOLD SUPPORTER
Half-page ad in the Championship Program Two foursomes of golf including lunch and beverage during 2020 Listing on the Supporter Recognition Board Eight invitations for VIP Reception with Jane Blalock Eight Clubhouse Championship Badges - Clubhouse access, including complimentary lunch buffets during the Championship
SILVER SUPPORTER
Half-page ad in the Championship Program One foursome of golf including lunch and beverage during 2020 Listing on the Supporter Recognition Board Four invitations for VIP Reception with Jane Blalock Four Championship Badges - Clubhouse access, including complimentary lunch buffets during the Championship
$10,000
$5,000
BRONZE SUPPORTER
Acknowledgment in the Championship Program Four invitations to Supporter/Volunteer Day including all food and beverage Listing on the Supporter Recognition Board Two invitations for VIP Reception with Jane Blalock Two Championship Badges - Clubhouse access, including complimentary lunch buffets during the Championship
COPPER SUPPORTER
Two invitations to Supporter/Volunteer Day including all food and beverage Listing on the Supporter Recognition Board Two invitations for VIP Reception with Jane Blalock T wo Championship Badges - Clubhouse access, including complimentary lunch buffets during the Championship
$2,500
$1,000
SUPPORTER $500
One invitation to Supporter/Volunteer Day including all food and beverage Listing on the Supporter Recognition Board Two invitations for VIP Reception with Jane Blalock
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO BE A SUPPORTER OF THE
2020 U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP Please return Pledge Card to QUAIL CREEK COUNTRY CLUB
My contribution level is: Gold Supporter ($10,000)
Silver Supporter ($5,000
Bronze Supporter ($2,500)
I am paying by: Check (made payable to: Quail Creek Country Club, Inc.)
Copper Supporter ($1,000)
Supporter ($500)
Member Charge (if applicable) Member #:__________ (To be charged in April 2020.)
Credit Card #: ________________________________ CVV #: ________ Expiration Date:_____________ Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________ Email: ________________________________________ Name(s) to be listed on Supporter Recognition Board:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Fall 2019 ~ Championship Special Edition ~ Quail Trails
11
FIRST CLASS PRESORT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 266 NAPLES, FL
13300 Valewood Drive Naples, FL 34119
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP? A LOOK BACK AT THE 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP
20.3
AVERAGE AGE OF FIELD:
10 Countries 19
PLAYERS IN THE FIELD
30
★
REPRESENTED
11 30
Kiara Romero, 13 & Athena Nguyen, 15
Cindy McConnell, 58 & Leeann Lewis, 55
14 56.5
11
States
are from host state Florida
OLDEST SIDE:
(AVERAGE AGE)
and
★
YOUNGEST SIDE:
(AVERAGE AGE)
SIDES INCLUDING DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor, return fromthe 2018 championship
TEAMS
OF CURRENT, FUTURE OR PAST
college teammates, including two each from Colorado State, Duke and Stanford
YEARS
(side with largest age difference)
The mother-daughter duo of Kay Daniel, 48, and Abbey Daniel, 18, of Covington, La.
Youngest in championship’s five years
9
USGA CHAMPIONS IN THE FIELD
Kelsey Chugg Lauren Greenlief Shannon Johnson Julia Potter-Bobb (2) Katrina Prendergast Ellen Secor Erica Shepherd Meghan Stasi (4) Cindy McConnell
BE A PART OF HISTORY! 2020 U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUAIL CREEK COUNTRY CLUB
APRIL 25–29