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Porath wins Highland Open playoff
What direction will women's tourney take?

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By Dennis Grall - Daily Press

HYDE - Denise Porath's approach shot on the first playoff hole landed in thick rough. That turned out to be a good break because Nicky Hosking's shot dropped into the deep right-front bunker.

Porath had a clean chip shot to the first green and two-putted for bogey-5 to win the Carole Daniels Memorial Highland Open women's championship here Wednesday.

Hosking needed four shots to escape the bunker, finally pitching out to the side after failing to get three shots above the high lip.

The two players were matched in the opening group Wednesday and both shot 85, going 43-42 in extremely wet conditions created by nearly two inches of rain a day earlier.

"We golfed so well all day," said Porath. "I would have to liked to have seen it go a couple more holes. That was a tough break."

After seeing Hosking's travails, Porath knew what she had to do to claim her first Open victory. "I wanted to plop my third shot on the green," said the four-time Highland women's club champion.

She wasn't overly impressed with her game Wednesday. "I had no short game," she said. "But I kept myself in it with a couple of birdies and a couple pars. The greens were wet and a little slow when we started, then they got faster."

With the squishy fairways, Porath said "you had to go at least a club higher."

Hosking, who had a hole-in-one on the 190-yard fourth hole in a solo practice round Sunday, was dismayed when her dead-on approach fell short in the playoff.

Looking at her sand shot, she said "there was a big lip and it (the sand) was wet, but that is no excuse. Denise played well today. She was on her game."

Only 38 women played as the field continues to shrink for the Upper Peninsula's only stroke-play women's tournament.

Chairman Jayne Mackowiak and course manager Kevin Londo both indicated plans are being considered to move the event to a weekend and match it with the Highland Open men's tourney in July. That event has also lost participants and drew only 120 last year, nearly 100 less than the peak years.

"We want to keep the only stroke play tourney in the U.P,," said Mackowiak, "Everyone is afraid to play their own ball. We don't want to change the format yet because it is really true golf."

Mackowiak recalled Daniels, a long-time golf afficionado, pleading for that format in a conversation shortly before her death last year. "She said 'keep it alive for me,'" recalled Mackowiak.

"We want to try to continue this tribute to her as long as we can keep it alive."

Mackowiak pointed out the numerous tournaments that are available, from weekend events to a bundle of fund-raisers that tax players in a weak economy. "You can only pick so many to play," she said. "People pick and choose certain tournaments."

Karen McCorkle of Gladstone was third and Nancy Osier of Wakefield was fourth, both at 89. Amy Stupak of Highland was fifth with 90, a score matched by Cathy Shamion of Ontonagon and Michelle Mansfield of Menominee.

Judy Peltier of Highland won the first flight with 103. Ellen Swenson won the senior division with 97 and Judy Erickson won first flight with 115.