NC & SC Women's State Team Selections

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. -- The United States Golf Association (USGA) will conduct the 11^th USGA Women’s State Team Championship at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Giradeau, Missouri on September 10-12.

This biannual national championship began in 1995 as part of the USGA's Centennial celebration and is contested on the even years for men and odd years for women. The championships are open to players from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

State associations may use any criteria of their choosing in selecting their teams, which comprise three amateur, non-college golfers. The North Carolina lineup is selected by the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) while the South Carolina team is determined by the Women's South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA). In 2013, North Carolina finished T-18 and South Carolina T-23.

Dawn Woodard, of Greer, finished second as an individual in 2009, leading South Carolina to a fifth-place team finish in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the past three State Team Championships, her 54-hole totals have been at least 19 strokes better than those of her nearest teammate.

“I want to win,” Woodard said. “If you win, you get a gold medal just like you do in an individual USGA event and they announce you as a USGA champion at other events.”

Team North Carolina's captains Maggie Weder and Angela Stewart, have represented the state as players in the championship. North Carolina's best finish came in 2003 when the team of Shannon Ogg, Patty Moore, and Brenda Corrie Kuehn finished second.

Karen Ferree earned the third spot for South Carolina. However, when she was extended the invitation, she wanted to offer this potentially once in a lifetime experience to a rising junior star. Ferree has been an advocate for junior golf and the growth of the game for years. Emily Cox did not earn any points in 2014, but her outstanding play in the WSCGA Junior Championship and the US Junior Girls Championship put her in 4th for the standings.

Created by Nicklaus Design, the Cape Girardeau, Mo., club opened in 2002, and in 13 years, it has hosted dozens of major events, including 10 Missouri Golf Association championships. The 2015 USGA Women’s State Team will be the first USGA championship conducted at the facility.

The event will be a 54-hole stroke play championship, with two of the lowest three individual scores counting for each round.
 

Representatives from the Carolinas are:

NORTH CAROLINA

Mallory Hetzel, 28, of Waynesville: Second State team appearance (played for the SC team in 2003 with current team member Ferree), #4 ranked women's amateur in the Carolinas, 7-time CGA champion including back-to-back Women’s Match Play titles from 2014-2015, made it to the Round of 64 at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Debbie Adams, 48, of Asheville: Fourth State Team appearance, Ranked #7 in the Carolinas, made it to the Quarterfinals at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am Championship, and 8-time CGA champion.

Courtney McKim, 24, of Raleigh: First State Team selection, 10th ranked woman in the Carolinas, finished 2nd at the North Carolina Women's Golf Association Amateur, won the 2015 Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball, and qualified for the 2015 U.S. Women's Amateur.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Dawn Woodard, 40, of Greer: 4th straight State Team selection, #3 ranked in the Carolinas and the top ranked woman from SC, 2-time CGA champion including back-to-back Women’s Match Play titles in 2011 and 2012, won the 2014 WSCGA Amateur Championship, and was runner up in the 2015 WSCGA Match Play, made it to the Round of 64 at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am Championship, competed on the 2013 State Team.

Lea Venable, 41, of Simpsonville: Fifth state team appearance (most of any Carolinas women playing this year), Ranked #6 in the Carolinas, won the 2014 Carolinas Women’s Four-ball and the 2015 WSCGA Match Play Championship, made it to the Round of 64 at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am Championship, competed on the 2013 State Team.

Emily Cox, 16, of Lancaster: the first state team selection for the youngest team member. Cox won this year's CGA Vicki DiSantis Girls' Championship, finished tied for 5th in the WSCGA Junior Girls' Championship, qualified for the US Junior Girls' Championship and made it to the Round of 64. Cox shot her lowest career score of 65 in the WSCGA Junior Championship.

For more information about the USGA State Team Championships visit the USGA web site at https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2015/usga-women-s-state-team.html
 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.

Now in its 106th year, the CGA annually conducts 43 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 140 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed more than $1,500,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.    

For more information about the CGA, visit www.carolinasgolf.org.

About the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA)

 The WSCGA is a 501(c)(7) not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1949 to promote and serve the best interest in women’s golf in South Carolina by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The WSCGA is the largest women’s golf association in South Carolina with over 140 member clubs represented by nearly 12,000 individuals.
 
 The WSCGA annually conducts 6 championships and runs over 30 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The WSCGA serves golf in South Carolina with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Handicapping; and the WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation (JGF). The JGF strives to enhance the lives of junior girls in South Carolina by supporting the growth of their game.

##30##