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Stupples returns to competition at 2016 ShopRite LPGA Classic

June 17, 2016

Karen Stupples received a warm send-off at the 10th tee as she began her first competitive round in over two years at the 2016 ShopRite LPGA Classic.

The Golf Channel analyst has a good reputation. Her playing credentials, such as her 2004 Women's British Open victory, are first rate. She laces her golf commentary with evident good humor and wit, and that's always appreciated.

The announcer at the tee also told the crowd that Stupples is a very recently admitted citizen of the United States, creating a burst of applause for that fact alone.

Her first round also began with a slight case of nerves. Normally a high ball hitter, Stupples’ approach shot to the 10th green came in low and hot, forcing a difficult chip downhill and a quick bogey.

She calmed down soon after, making three pars in succession. Nonetheless, the steady, accurate chipping and putting I saw during the pro-am the day before at Galloway National was not always on display on at Seaview’s Bay Course.

Her caddie, Golf Channel's Lisa Cornwell, kept up a steady stream of encouragement as she gave Stupples information about yardage, wind direction, club selection and the likely path of a putt or approach shot. It looked like a nice partnership between golfer and caddie, who are also good friends.

Stupples finished with a birdie on the par 5 ninth hole, made possible in part by a 230-yard second shot that rolled to a stop 20 feet short of the pin. Her eagle putt stopped a few inches from the hole, making it the easiest birdie of her entire round.

At the scorer's tent, Stupples gave a characteristically blunt assessment of her return to the fray: "I'd been blowing it past 10 feet all day, so, I wasn't going to blast that one 10 feet past. I wanted a birdie to finish. That's the stupid thing about it. I had holes like that where it was really good and I had holes where it was really bad. And it's not that far. The shots are not that far [from good]. It's frustrating," she said.

Her triple bogey on the 160-yard par 3 15th was a good example. With the hole set close to the left edge, the left bunker sitting several feet below the green proved to be far too tempting for Stupples' tee shot. The ball made a huge splash, creating a classic fried egg lie.

"Yeah, that killed me. I mean it was deep in there, too. It wasn't like a little fried egg, the whole ball was under the ground. It decided to bury. It thought it was a mole," Stupples said.

Her shot out of the bunker landed in the fringe, bounced up to the edge of the green, and rolled back to a spot just above the bunker. Stupples’ next chip was too delicate, returning to her feet after trying and failing to reach the green. That led to a sharply barked "Hit it!" from Stupples. 

The second chip rolled several feet past the pin, but she wasn't able to recover from there, for an eventual ugly six. 

Stupples also paid a price on the par 4 eighth hole. To the right of the fairway was a large, thick stand of phragmites, marked out with red stakes for errant tee shots. 

Stupples' tee shot disappeared, and she and her playing partners searched diligently several feet into the high stuff. When the time came, however, she accepted a ride back to the tee for a second swing and third stroke.

"Nobody saw it go in, so I had to go back and play it [again]. It's like a lost ball, because nobody sees it go in the hazard," she said.

Her second tee shot left Stupples with only 80 yards to the pin, but she couldn’t save bogey from there. 

The round complete, Stupples and Cornwell smiled and posed for pictures with appreciative fans. It wasn’t the result she wanted, but Stupples was fun to watch, and I enjoyed our chats very much.

Unfortunately, her first day’s score was too much to overcome in the second, and she didn’t make the cut – so for now, it’s back to the Golf Channel and her TV career.

DSGA Scholarship Fund winners

The Delaware State Golf Association Scholarship Fund recently announced the 2016 winners of its four-year awards.

The Robert McCurry Award to the first-place winner honors a founding member of the fund and a major fundraiser for it. Reed Winkler of Wilmington, a Salesianum graduate, can receive $20,800 for successful completion of four years of college. He will attend St. Joseph’s University and is a past DSGA junior champion.

Erryn Smith of Bridgeville won second place for up to $15,200. The Lake Forest golfer also won a DPGA Junior Tournament. She will attend the University of South Carolina at Beaufort.

Alex Weiner of Newark won a scholarship worth up to $12,000. The Delaware Military Academy graduate will attend Lehigh University and earned a multi-year first-team all-conference spot in the Diamond State Conference.

Jack Ashby of Lewes also won a scholarship for up to $12,000. The Cape Henlopen graduate will attend Lynchburg College. He lettered three years for the Vikings and is an Academic All-Henlopen Conference selection.

Rookery North junior clinic

The Rookery North begins a junior clinic Tuesday, June 21, taught by PGA Pro Kyle Deas. The sessions run four consecutive weeks, each starting at 9 a.m. For more information, call 302-422-7010.

Local club competition results

The Kings Creek Ladies 18 Holers played a Cha Cha game June 7. Ruth Lauver, Nancy Froome, Yona Zucker and Denise Stewart teamed up for first place. Atom Irwin, Joanne Yurik, Sherry Pie and Sheree Mixell took second. Carol Loewin won closest to the pin.

The league played a Criers game June 14, where the worst four scores are replaced by par minus handicap. 

Ana Dittel won first place in the first flight, followed by Jeannine Doane in second and Renata Price in third. Sheree Davis won the second flight, with Sherry Pie taking second and Carol Loewen in third. Joanne Yurik won the third flight, with Arlyce Dubbin in second and Patricia Magee third. Ruth Lauver won closest to the pin.

The Sussex Pines Ladies 18 Hole group played a Fewest Putts game June 14. Linda Townsend took first, with Terry Daisey in second and JoAnn Foster in third. Brenda Lewis won closest to the pin.

  • Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.

    Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.

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