Rendleman, Sentel claim Lassies Classic crown

It didn't take long for Brenda Rendleman and Roberta Sentel, both from Illinois, to jump at the opportunity to join the Lassies Classic at Cape Girardeau Country Club.

It also didn't take them long to pounce on their first title.

On Thursday, Sentel teamed with Rendleman to shoot a second-round 7-under 63 to post a five-shot victory over two-time defending champions Sheree Simmons and Sissy Donahue.

The pair was making its first appearance in the tournament after participating in the club's couples tournament the past five or six years.

Sentel, who is from Marion, teamed with her husband, Kenneth, to win a couples tournament earlier this year.

"This year they just invited us to play," said Rendleman, who also posted a high finish with her husband, Darryl, in the couples tournament.

The invitation to join the 92-team field for the 37th edition of the tournament was gladly accepted by the pair, who have teamed to win the Rebecca's Run Tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club on several occasions.

"We love this course," Sentel said about the scenic Cape Girardeau Country Club, which overlooks the Mississippi River. "It's really a nice layout and beautiful."

Brenda Schrage readies herself for a putt at the Lassie's Classic at Cape Girardeau Country Club, Thursday July 16, 2015 while opponets Sissy Donahue(yellow) and Sherre Simmons(pink) look on. (CAROL KELLISON)

The pair did not make a bogey in the tournament, shooting a 64 on the first day in taking a two-shot lead into the final round over three teams, which included Simmons and Donahue and the 11-time tournament champion pairing of Harriette Myers and Diana Fowler.

Simmons and Donahue failed to keep pace with both their bogeys in the tournament over their final 18 holes in the scramble format.

"Almost everything was greens in regulation and fairways, except for the bogeys -- that was the two," Simmons said. "Yesterday we didn't have to struggle for par at all. Today was little tougher for some reason, I don't know why."

The leaders began their rounds on the back nine, and Simmons and Donahue, playing in the second-to-last group, opened with back-to-back birdies. However, they played the rest of their round at 2-under to finish with their second consecutive round of 66.

Rendleman and Sentel, playing with Myers and Fowler, opened with a birdie but heated up near the turn. After carding a birdie on No. 15, they birdied Nos. 17, 18 and 1.

"We picked each other up pretty well all day," Rendleman said. "Drivers, irons, whatever. We just picked each other up. She's a fantastic chipper. Her short game is very good. I didn't have to do a whole lot of putting, thank goodness. She was making most of the first putts."

"Normally, she's the best putter," Sentel noted. "I just happen to be putting better at the moment, but we're both about equal."

They added a birdie on No. 5, then cemented their advantage with a two-shot swing over the 11-time champions on No. 6. Sentel hit to within 6-feet on the 125-yard par 3 and then rolled in the putt, while Myers and Fowler were saddled with their lone bogey.

The swing gave the pair a six-shot lead over their playing partners.

"About right there [is when I knew we had beaten them], but I didn't know what the other groups were doing," Rendleman said. "I didn't know what Sissy and the others were doing, because they're very good, too."

The Illinois duo had chances on each of the final three holes to extend their lead, but missed birdie putts within 8 feet each time.

"They hit it tight all day," Fowler said. "They're really talented. They played tee to green. They shot what we used to be able to shoot. We can't do it any more. We enjoyed playing with them."

Myers and Fowler, both from New Madrid, won the last of their titles in 2012, and after the team's final-round 67 and third-place finish Thursday, Fowler voiced her approval of seeing new competition in the tournament, which is known for its full fields and strict traditions.

"That's how we got in it years ago," Fowler said about the invite. "We came in and somebody was winning it a lot and we had some friends up here -- you know it was a hard tournament to get into years ago. You couldn't get in, there was a waiting list. When Harriett and I first started playing together, we said, 'We'd like to play in it,' and it took a few years for us to get into it. We finally got our chance to get into it and won it a few times. We always enjoy it, it's such a beautiful golf course."

The new champs are of the same mind.

"It's a beautiful course and we love playing here," said Rendleman, noting the pair's plans to return next season. "It's gorgeous."