Headline: The #RoadtoWellesley Continues For 14 Competitors Who Advanced to the 2016 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship at the Spring Valley CC Sectional Qualifier

For Immediate Release: August 30, 2016

Mary Ann Hayward (far left) celebrating with three other qualifiers from Spring Valley CC.

Sharon, MA — A mere 18 miles will be the difference for a total of 14 golfers who qualified for the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship on Tuesday at Spring Valley Country Club.

CLICK HERE to access full-field results.

After all, it is only that short ride up Route 95 that will be necessary to get to next month’s Championship Proper at Wellesley Country Club, being held September 17-22, the first ever time the national event will be held in the Bay State.

With a qualifying field that included a pair of former U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champions in Marion Maney (1992) and Mary Ann Hayward (2005), those who qualified on Tuesday shot scores of 2-over par 75 and 11-over par 84 to earn their spot in next month’s Championship Proper.

Tuesday’s medalist with a day low score of 2-over par 75 was in fact Mary Ann Hayward, a Canadian product who was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. In addition to her victory on the US stage in 2005, the 66 year old from Lachine, PQ has represented Canada eight times at the World Amateur Championship.

In Tuesday’s qualifier, she was 3-over at the turn, the result of three bogeys, but turned it around with a birdie on the par-3 16th hole that sits at 178 yards.

“Just getting [to the Championship] is always good,” said Hayward, who will be playing in her sixth U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. “To be the medalist is the cherry on top.”

After a rushed seven days that included play in the recent Canadian Senior Open, Hayward’s 14 pars in addition to her birdie was enough to push her over the top at Tuesday’s qualifier and earn her a return to the Championship Proper. Hayward was a semi-finalist in 2010 when the event was held at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla.  

“I hit the ball pretty well and just played conservatively," said Hayward. "[Spring Valley] is a tough golf course, so I knew anything in the 70s was going to be good.”

She will return in less than a month to Massachusetts and hopes to build on past success to ultimately take home the title at this year’s event.

“I took a look at Wellesley yesterday,” added Hayward. “I like the look of the golf course.”

Cindy Fentross, of West Boylston, Mass. placed second with a 3-over par 76 mark to earn her spot in the field at Wellesley next month. She combined birdies on the first and last holes with 12 made pars to conclude her round of 18.

In addition to Fentross, another two players with local ties also qualified for the main event right here in Massachusetts next month. Nancy Diemoz (Swansea, Mass.) and Natalie Galligan (Cataumet, Mass.) each earned their spots in the field, while Georgia Peirce (Boston, Mass.) won out in a five-person playoff for the first alternate spot.

To learn more about the 2016 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship to be held at Wellesley CC - including volunteer opportunities - CLICK HERE.