Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay's Fairwinds Golf Club edged Barrhead, Alberta's Jessica Luciuk for first place at the BC Golf Women's Mid-Master Championship at the Cowichan Golf and Country Club last week.
The field of golfers, including five from Cowichan Valley clubs, shot 54 holes from Wednesday to Friday, but it wasn't until the very end that Stouffer pulled ahead. Stouffer hit a clutch birdie on the 16th hole Friday and made par on the final two holes to finish at 224. Luciuk could have forced a playoff with a six-foot putt on the 18th, but finished with a bogey to end up one shot back.
The Cowichan Valley was represented in the championship by Mary Braithwaite of Duncan Meadows, Marianne Hunt of Cowichan, Karen Kloske of March Meadows, Darleen Michell of Mount Brenton and Colleen Wheatley of Arbutus Ridge.
Kloske finished seventh in the Women's Mid-Master, shooting a 24-over 240. Wheatley tied for 12th at 31 over, Michell tied for 20th at 42 over, Braithwaite tied for 22nd at 44 over, and Hunt placed 50th at 75th over.
The Mid-Master Championship was held in conjunction with seven other competitions: the Senior and Super Senior championships, the Stableford A, B and C flights, the zone competition, and the best-ball competition.
In the Senior category, Port Alberni's Jackie Little shot 231 to beat Victoria's Alison Murdoch by two strokes. Murdoch won the Super Senior title by three strokes over Holly Horwood of Shaughnessy. Kloske placed fifth in the Women's Senior, while Wheatley was 10th, Michell was 18th, Braithwaite was 20th and Hunt was 44th. Michell also tied for
seventh in the Super Senior.
In the Stableford A Flight, Wheat l ey and Kloske were among seven tied for fourth with 97 points, while Braithwaite was 18th with 84 points. Michell was third in the B Flight with 97 points, and Hunt tied for 13th in the C Flight with 87 points.
Michell and her teammate Brenda Samis of Vernon shot a nine-under round of 63 to take the best-ball competition over Kloske and Murdoch. The Zone 5 team of Murdoch and Penny Baziuk finished tied with Zone 6's Little and Josee Deslauriers in the zone competition, but the Zone 5 pair took the title because of a better score on the back nine.
Some of the same golfers, including Stouffer and Luciuk, are remaining in the Cowichan Valley this week for the BC Golf Women's Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows from Tuesday to Friday.