HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- The youngest player in the field is the highest seed.
Maumelle's Taylor Loeb, 19, a year removed from junior competition, shot 1-over-par 73 during stroke qualifying for the Arkansas State Golf Association Women's Match Play Tuesday at DeSoto Golf Course, earning the championship division's No. 1 seed.
With seven amateurs competing, Loeb receives a bye to Thursday's semifinals. She awaits today's winner of Lakeside graduate Kirsten Garner, Garland County's lone amateur in the field, and Russellville's Julie Oxendine, a November inductee to the ASGA Hall of Fame, after both shot 80.
Reigning champion Heather Wall of Lake Village, golf coach at Arkansas-Monticello, is the No. 2 seed at 3-over 75. She tied with reigning ASGA Women's Amateur champ Peyton Weaver of Bryant, a Arkansas-Little Rock incoming junior, but Wall got the higher seed as part of the first group off the course in a shotgun start.
Wall faces Henderson State junior-to-be Sarah Wright (85) of Fayetteville, and Weaver plays Libby Croom (83) of Russellville.
The Hot Springs Village locale gave its senior golfers a chance to showcase their skills, evidenced by the top four qualifying scores as local competitors. Medalist Donna Mahle knocked down four birdies on her front nine and shot 2-over 74.
Mahle gets a challenging first-round match against two-time defending champion Carrie Hall of Bismarck. Hall, playing the senior Match Play for the first time away from her home Hot Springs Country Club, shot 83, barely making it into the top flight.
Five of the eight in the top flight are from Hot Springs Village, starting with Catherine Walsh and Sandra Smit each shooting 75. Walsh got the second seed as the first to turn in her scorecard, drawing fellow Village rep Rhonda Haynes (82), while Smit plays Paula Curtis (82) of Marianna.
Katie Speir rounded out the HSV's senior superfecta with 76, drawing Star City's Paula Moore (77) in the opening round.
Sports on 07/13/2016