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SportsJuly 17, 2008

Mary Jane Eftink has made a habit of holes in one. She recorded her fourth ace in four years Wednesday afternoon at Cape Girardeau Country Club. This one happened to come during the first round of the Lassies Classic, but it was not enough to propel Eftink and teammate Ann Fowler into the championship flight of the 30th annual event...

ABOVE: Karen Parrish chipped onto the green Wednesday during her round. 
LEFT: Betty Michel teed off on the first hole as teammate Shirley Moore watched.




Photos by Aaron Eisenhauer
aeisenhauer@semissourian.com
ABOVE: Karen Parrish chipped onto the green Wednesday during her round. LEFT: Betty Michel teed off on the first hole as teammate Shirley Moore watched. Photos by Aaron Eisenhauer aeisenhauer@semissourian.com

Mary Jane Eftink has made a habit of holes in one.

She recorded her fourth ace in four years Wednesday afternoon at Cape Girardeau Country Club. This one happened to come during the first round of the Lassies Classic, but it was not enough to propel Eftink and teammate Ann Fowler into the championship flight of the 30th annual event.

In fact, the ace on the 130-yard par-3 13th hole led to almost as much bad as good.

"After that hole in one, we kind of got shook and bogeyed the next two holes because we got so excited," Eftink said. "I said, 'We better get back on track' because we wanted to be even.

"If we wouldn't have gotten shook. ... Our goal was to be in the championship flight."

"We don't care if we win it; we just want to be in it," Fowler said.

But Eftink and Fowler fell just one stroke short of making the top flight, instead settling for a share of the lead in the AA flight for the two-day tournament.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com
Cathy Thompson teed off on the seventh hole Wednesday during the Lassies Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.
AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Cathy Thompson teed off on the seventh hole Wednesday during the Lassies Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

The event concludes today. More than 90 teams are taking part in six flights, which were divided following the opening round.

The 11 teams in the championship flight all are under par, with Janice Hoffman and Vicki Long leading the way at 5-under 66. They have a two-stroke lead over two teams — Sandy Barclay and Mary Jane Tyler and the 2005 champions Leslie Steele and Robyn Young.

Hoffman and Long also have championship credentials, having won back in 1993 and 1997. They finished second last year, five strokes behind eight-time champions Harriette Myers and Diane Fowler, who are not in this year's field.

Long said it took the duo a while to get going Wednesday afternoon in a round that featured six birdies and a bogey on No. 5.

Gloria Thies prepared for a putt Wednesday during the Lassies Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.
Gloria Thies prepared for a putt Wednesday during the Lassies Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

"It just took us a few holes to get kind of acclimated," Long said. "It was very humid, we were short a lot and so we had to try different clubs. We missed some putts; you know how it is. Golfers always think they can do better.

"Hopefully, we will do the best we can tomorrow."

Wednesday was warm, but a break from what the tournament has brought in the past, Ann Fowler noted.

"There have been some years where you had to have a towel on your neck and your head was throbbing when the round was over," she said.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com
Brenda Vandenbrook putts on the seventh hole as other members of her group on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 during the Lassie's Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.
AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Brenda Vandenbrook putts on the seventh hole as other members of her group on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 during the Lassie's Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

Eftink and Fowler parlayed the good weather and the ace into their best round in tournament play, beating a previous score of 74.

Their lone previous championship flight bid came when the event was played at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. That's one place where Eftink hasn't had a hole in one lately.

She scored a hole in one two years ago on No. 8 at Cape Country Club while playing with her husband, Leon. She also had an ace at Dalhousie Golf Club last year and one in Arizona during her streak.

"My husband hasn't had any, and he was the first person I called," Eftink said. "He said, 'Oh, God, not again.' I'm just waiting for him to get one.

Phylis Piazza and Donna Cooksey watched as their group mates putted Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.
Phylis Piazza and Donna Cooksey watched as their group mates putted Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

"Now, I have to call him again and tell him, 'You better watch out because the bill could be pretty high here.'"

Oh, yes, the other drawback of that hole in one — the time-honored tradition of buying the drinks.

"It's really wrong, because everyone should be buying me drinks," Eftink said, "but that's the way it is."

Eftink, playing in her 10th Lassies Classic in her 10th year of golfing, said she used the 6-hybrid for the shot.

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com
AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com

"It felt good and everything," Eftink said. "We said, 'Boy it's close.' We watched it all the way and we knew it was a great shot, but we could see part of the ball so that's why we didn't think it went in. It landed right and front of the pin and the pin was what was holding it [against the side of the cup]. It was neat to see it all the way."

Scores

Results from first day of Lassies Classic at Cape Girardeau Country Club:

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com
Phylis Piazza tees off on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 during the Lassie's Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.
AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Phylis Piazza tees off on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 during the Lassie's Classic at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

66 (5 under par)

Janice Hoffman/Vicki Long

68 (3 under par)

Sandy Barclay/Mary Jane Tyler

Leslie Steele/Robyn Young

69 (2 under par)

Marie Ballard/Charlotte West

Barbara Dalton/Suzie Ruppert

Shawna Glueck/Laurie Welter

Jane Kirk/Alice Temm

70 (1 under par)

Bonnie Bradley/Pam Heisel

Sissy Donahue/Sherre Simmons

Harriett Drusch/Margaret Sanders

Deb Mealy/Kathy Morris

AA FLIGHT

71 (Even par)

Christy Benton/Donna Wheeler

Anita Jo Brogden/Martha Johnson

Jennifer Coad/Deanna Estes

Sharon Dow/Jan Keefe

Mary Jane Eftink/Ann Fowler

72 (1 over par)

Mary Bain/Doris Stepp

Judi Brey/Marlena Jones

Martha Hamilton/Barbara Johnson

Julie Illner/Elaine Vitello

73 (2 over par)

Emily Corwin/Julia Corwin

Karen Davis/Carolyn Willett

Ruth Ann Henager/Nancy Johns

Luanne Keifner/Carol Largent

Terrie Mouser/Jan Shultz

74 (3 over par)

Sheila Cunningham/Sandy Dorton

Barb Gannon/Joyce Queen

A FLIGHT

75 (4 over par)

Claire Karnes/Diana King

Sandy Magurany/Kathleen Robinson

Kathy Raines/Lillian Schneider

76 (5 over par)

Kate Ackerman/Dee Fry

Yvonne Cross/Jan Eveans

Joan Harris/JoAnn Taylor

Mary Lee Hibbits/Reba Mell

Nancy Kohl/Marty Seymour

77 (6 over par)

Stephanie Augspurger/Sharon McCune

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Jan Crider/Melissa Crowley

Helen Ezzell/Janie Wheeler

Mary Henry/Cora Dell Johnson

Jean Irby/Kay Sneathern

B FLIGHT

78 (7 over par)

Lisa Beussink/Carol Weinrich

Lillian Crain/Linda Shields

Mary Sue Layton/Janet White

Linda Simpson/Sandy Swalls

Gloria Thies/Cathy Thompson

79 (8 over par)

Cathy Butler/Sondra Kee

Mary Cotner/Cindy Schmoll

Shirley Kegley/Connie Spears

Kathy Kirksey/Penny Scheibal

Martha Todd/Brenda VandenBrook

80 (9 over par)

Carolyn Blechle/Clara Schafer

Sharon Bush/Margaret Schicker

Matilda Cain/Sue Collins

Sarah Cochrane/Mary Alice Regenhardt

Donna Gibbar/Brenda Govro

Laura Kozisek/Linda Tewis

C FLIGHT

81 (10 over par)

Glenda Buchanan/Phyllis Jones

Linda Byrd/Joyce Spoo

Sheila Caskey/Mary Ann Vogelsang

Pam Carr/Lynda Shannon

Karen Parrish/Nancy Sorgen

82 (11 over par)

Charlotte Arneson/Shari McConnell

Donna Cooksey/Phylis Piazza

Dorothy Holland/Dixie Jones

Joyce Kuntz/Dana Underwood

Jo McPherson/Marsha Robinson

83 (12 over par)

Peggy Ellis/Phyllis Seabaugh

Janet Esicar/Susan Vickery

Diane Jacquemin/Yvette Wattigney

Betty Michel/Shirley Moore

84 (13 over par)

Diane Blanchard/Theresa Rainwater

Gretchen Glassford/Janice Storm-Lingle

Barbara Harris/Adeline Walker

D FLIGHT

85 (14 over par)

Hilda Bryant/Lola McCann

Joan Chilton/Jean Norman

Robin Davis/Patty Ralph

Terri Hanley/Rhea Hasemeyer

Beth Mapes/Catharine Weed

Glen May/Linda Williams

Connie McManus/Barbara Sloan

86 (15 over par)

Sharon Brockland/Pat Pelch

Mary Crabtree/Maggie Shelton

Margie Maddox/Virginia Watkins

Renee Reeves/Brenda Spence

87 (16 over par)

Laurel Adkisson/Jackie Griffith

Betty Dewitt/Nancy Settles

Mary Ann Hampton/Bev Roland

Barbara Hautak/Nancy Ranson

90 (19 over par)

Wendy Blackden/Louise Campbell

Jean Mabrey/Diana Miller

92 (21 over par)

Edna Ruth Fischer/Marcia Wagner

Judy Holcomb/Priscilla Kirby

PRIZE WINNERS

No. 2 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Sue Collins; Afternoon, Margaret Sanders.

No. 3 (Closest to the pin, second shot) — Morning, Kathy Morris; Afternoon, Harriet Drusch.

No. 4 (Longest putt) — Morning, Sheila Carkey; Afternoon, Shawna Glueck.

No. 6 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Jean Mabrey; Afternoon, Jan Keefe.

No. 8 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Sue Collins; Afternoon, Janice Hoffman.

No. 9 (Longest drive in fairway) — Morning, Sandy Barclay; Afternoon, Sandy Magurany.

No. 11 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Judi Brey; Afternoon, Gretchen Glassford.

No. 13 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Mary Ann Vogelsang; Afternoon, Mary Jane Eftink (hole in one).

No. 15 (Closest to line) — Morning, Bev Roland; Afternoon, Jan Eveans.

No. 16 (Closest to the pin) — Morning, Laura Kozisek; Afternoon, Sissy Donahue.

No. 18 (Longest putt) — Morning, Emily Corwin; Afternoon, Melissa Crowley.

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