Akemi Khaiat, 50, of Japan, carded an even-par 72 Saturday to hold a one-stroke lead after the first day of stroke-play qualifying at the 52nd USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at CordeValle.
Khaiat, who lives in Los Angeles and holds Japanese citizenship, just returned from an amateur competition in her native land, too late for a practice round for the Senior Women’s Amateur.
"This week I had to go to Japan for the State Senior Am so I had no expectations," said Khaiat, who is a seven-time club champion at Riviera Country Club. "I just listened to my caddie and I did what he said. But, one month ago, I came here to practice with my son."
Khaiat, who is playing in her first USGA Senior Women’s Amateur and is married to a volunteer Rules of Golf official, posted five birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey. She was the runner-up at the Japan Senior Women’s Golf Championship in June.
"My putting was excellent," said Khaiat, a property investor in her business life. "I will do the same thing tomorrow and go target to target, which is very important here. I have had a long golf career but this is like anything you can ask for."
Past champion Sherry Herman, 55, of Holmdel, N.J., and Liz Waynick, 53, of Scottsdale, Ariz., trailed Khaiat by one stroke with 1-over-par 73s.
None of the 132 players broke par at the 5,996-yard, par-72 Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout, the first time since 2010 at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla., that no player bettered par in the first round of stroke play. A heavy morning mist turned to rain in the early afternoon, but subsided as the afternoon wave of play began. Wind and thick rough contributed to the difficult scoring conditions.
Herman, the 2009 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur champion, birdied her final two holes, the par-4 eighth and ninth. Oddly, it only rained during her round on those two holes.
"I just play with a different attitude now," Herman said of her confidence since winning a national title. "I wouldn’t say I was desperate to win but I wanted to win a USGA championship. It was one of my lifetime goals. Now I have that behind me and I can freewheel it a little. I don’t feel nervous. I’m out there playing and just enjoying it."
Herman, a senior sales director with a husband and two grown daughters, has played in nearly 30 USGA competitions.
"I didn’t even know what I shot when I got done," said Herman, who was a semifinalist at the 1994 and 2001 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs. On my first putts, "I did not have the speed down well, but my second putts – no matter how far away I was – I was making them."
She credited her consistency to hitting fairways and greens in regulation, albeit none very close.
"I was never near the hole today," she said. "The pins did not know I was in town. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens in regulation. I might have missed two or three greens."
Waynick, the 2012 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runner-up who started on No. 10, was 4-over par after her first three holes. However, she steadied herself and played the final 15 holes in 3-under with birdies on the 14th, 17th and sixth holes.
"I hit my irons really well and had a lot of birdie opportunities but I had hiccups early in the round," Waynick said.
Two strokes behind Khaiat at 74 were 2010 champion Mina Hardin, 53, of Fort Worth, Texas; Helene Maxe, 52, of Sweden; Caryn Wilson, 52, of Rancho Mirage, Calif.; and Kim Eaton, 54, of Tempe, Ariz.
Lisa Schlesinger, of Laytonsville, Md., stroke-play medalist in 2011 and 2012, and Mary Jane Hiestand, of Naples, Fla., posted 3-over par 75s.
Terri Frohnmayer, 57, of Salem, Ore., the 2011 champion, carded a 77.
Defending champion Ellen Port, of St. Louis, who celebrated her 52nd birthday on Saturday, shot 80. Her up-and-down round began with three consecutive birdies and an outward 34, but she followed it with a 46 on her second nine. She was penalized two strokes when her caddie accepted transportation. At the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, caddies must walk at all times.
The 2013 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Sept. 26, starting at 8 a.m. (PDT). The field will be trimmed from 132 to 64 for the start of match play on Monday.
The USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, for players 50 years or older, is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Pete Kowalski is the director of championship communications at the USGA. Email him at pkowalski@usga.org.
SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- Results of Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the 2013 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, played at 5,996-yard, par-72 CordeValle.
Akemi Nakata Khaiat, Japan - 36-36--72
Sherry Herman, Holmdel, N.J. - 35-38--73
Liz Waynick, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 35-38--73
Caryn Wilson, Rancho Mirage, Calif. - 39-35--74
Helene Maxe, Sweden - 39-35--74
Kim Eaton, Tempe, Ariz. - 39-35--74
Mina Hardin, Ft Worth, Texas - 39-35--74
Lisa Schlesinger, Laytonsville, Md. - 37-38--75
Mary Jane Hiestand, Naples, Fla. - 38-37--75
Susan Cohn, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. - 37-39--76
Rachel Moreaux, San Rafael, Calif. - 36-40--76
Mary Ann Hayward, Canada - 38-38--76
Carol Sarkissian, Chino Hills, Calif. - 38-38--76
Taffy Brower, Boynton Beach, Fla. - 39-37--76
Kareen Markle, Meridian, Idaho - 39-37--76
Terri Frohnmayer, Salem, Ore. - 36-41--77
Jewell Malick, Rockwall, Texas - 43-34--77
Pamela Kuong, Wellesley Hills, Mass. - 38-39--77
Lisa McGill, Philadelphia, Pa. - 40-37--77
Lynne Cowan, Rocklin, Calif. - 39-38--77
Therese Quinn, Jacksonville, Fla. - 38-39--77
Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas - 38-39--77
Karen Ferree, Hilton Head, S.C. - 40-38--78
Marianne Towersey, Pebble Beach, Calif. - 37-41--78
Tanna Richard, Fort Smith, Ark. - 38-40--78
Sue Wooster, Australia - 40-38--78
Jane Fitzgerald, Kensington, Md. - 42-36--78
Brenda Pictor, Marietta, Ga. - 40-38--78
Helene Chartrand, Canada - 38-40--78
Marie-Therese Torti, Canada - 38-40--78
Judy Miller, Tucson, Ariz. - 40-39--79
Christine Gagner, North Oxford, Mass. - 42-37--79
Alexandra Frazier, West Conshohocken, Pa. - 40-39--79
Sydney Wells, Menominee, Mich. - 39-40--79
Sue McMurdy, Indiana, Pa. - 38-41--79
Martha Leach, Hebron, Ky. - 43-36--79
Joan Higgins, Glendora, Calif. - 40-39--79
Mary Budke, Palm Springs, Calif. - 39-40--79
Carol S Thompson, Sewickley, Pa. - 40-39--79
Patty Moore, Charlotte, N.C. - 41-38--79
Juvy Timan, Watsonville, Calif. - 39-40--79
Sandra Woodruff, Santa Cruz, Calif. - 42-37--79
Cindy Morris, Portsmouth, Va. - 41-39--80
Linda Pearson, Glendale, Calif. - 42-38--80
Lin McMillan, Palm Coast, Fla. - 38-42--80
Ellen Port, St. Louis, Mo. - 34-46--80
Becky Neal, Mansfield, Texas - 39-41--80
Maureen Sheehan, Grayslake, Ill. - 39-41--80
Deborah Anderson, Rancho Mirage, Calif. - 41-39--80
Kathleen Kolar, Rancho Mirage, Calif. - 38-42--80
Peggy Brady, Huntersville, N.C. - 41-39--80
Alison Hurley, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 41-39--80
Susan Stewart, Louisville, Ky. - 40-40--80
Gigi Higgins, Cape Coral, Fla. - 41-39--80
Casey O'Brien, St. Louis, Mo. - 42-39--81
Ashley Rose, North Augusta, S.C. - 41-40--81
Patricia Cornett, Mill Valley, Calif. - 39-42--81
Carolyn Creekmore, Dallas, Texas - 40-41--81
Kathie Westlund, Ft. Myers, Fla. - 41-40--81
Lea Anne Brown, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - 39-42--81
Nancy Kromar, Austin, Texas - 39-42--81
Lisa Smego, Olympia, Wash. - 39-42--81
Kathy Kurata, Pasadena, Calif. - 38-43--81
Sharon Hoffman, Lawrence, N.Y. - 40-41--81
Corey Weworski, Carlsbad, Calif. - 44-38--82
Beth Cleckler, Austin, Texas - 40-42--82
Joan Garety, Ada, Mich. - 39-43--82
Courtney Myhrum, Pittsburgh, Pa. - 43-39--82
Julie Massa, Holt, Mich. - 41-41--82
Anna Schultz, Rockwall, Texas - 40-42--82
Laura Algiero, White Plains, N.Y. - 43-39--82
Amy Dickison, Rowley, Mass. - 43-39--82
Michelle Burgess, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. - 42-40--82
Leilani Norman, Eugene, Ore. - 40-42--82
Lisa Judge, Kula, Hawaii - 44-39--83
Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. - 42-41--83
Marlene Stewart Streit, Canada - 44-39--83
Ellie Layton, Rochester, Minn. - 41-42--83
Sue O'Connor, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 42-41--83
Leigh Klasse, St. Anthony, Minn. - 40-43--83
Heidi Person, Pauma Valley, Calif. - 39-44--83
Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn. - 40-43--83
Heidy Munn, La Jolla, Calif. - 42-42--84
Mary Petrovich, West Bloomfield, Mich. - 40-44--84
Kim Kaul, Colden, N.Y. - 41-43--84
Karen Hoppe, Carson City, Nev. - 42-42--84
Catherine Allen, Bellingham, Wash. - 43-41--84
Patty Kimball, Cave Creek, Ariz. - 40-44--84
Marta Felix, Nogales, Ariz. - 41-43--84
Renee Theiler-Reichle, Fallbrook, Calif. - 45-39--84
Laura Carson, Lake Bluff, Ill. - 42-42--84
Diane Lang, Weston, Fla. - 42-43--85
Teresa Cleland, Syracuse, N.Y. - 46-39--85
Marybeth Clippinger, Centennial, Colo. - 37-48--85
Terry Mayes, Gilroy, Calif. - 42-43--85
Mary Ann Beattie, St. Louis, Mo. - 40-45--85
Susie Macleod, Anchorage, Alaska - 44-42--86
Terri McAngus, Eagle River, Alaska - 44-42--86
Barbara Pagana, Selinsgrove, Pa. - 46-40--86
Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, Utah - 45-41--86
Mary Gale, Worcester, Mass. - 39-47--86
Sue Billek Nyhus, Orem, Utah - 44-42--86
Mimi Hoffman, Alexandria, Va. - 44-42--86
Sherry Jackson, Las Vegas, Nev. - 43-43--86
Gail Flanagan, Rye, N.Y. - 44-42--86
Bev Lane, Great Falls, Va. - 42-45--87
Debbie Hall Friede, Washougal, Wash. - 43-44--87
Lecia Alexander, Stafford, Texas - 43-44--87
Denise Martorana, Sag Harbor, N.Y. - 45-42--87
Ran Oh Keane, San Diego, Calif. - 47-40--87
Charisse Spada, Portland, Ore. - 45-42--87
Deborah Hughes, Denver, Colo. - 43-44--87
Mary Ann Andrews Modrak, Sarasota, Fla. - 47-41--88
Maggie Brady, Washington D.C. - 45-43--88
Leslie Henry, Dallas, Texas - 46-42--88
Lori Elliott, Reno, Nev. - 46-42--88
Cindy Gilkeson, Sugar Land, Texas - 43-45--88
Barbara Byrnes, Mesa, Ariz. - 42-46--88
Danna King, Coto De Caza, Calif. - 43-46--89
Bonnie Fry, Bel Air, Md. - 45-45--90
Julie Harrison, Baton Rouge, La. - 44-46--90
Jean Cheszek, Palatine, Ill. - 44-46--90
Lisa Cobler, Pleasanton, Calif. - 45-45--90
Rachel Whittington, Lake Oswego, Ore. - 44-47--91
Ann Huber, Fresno, Calif. - 45-46--91
Dana Harrity, North Hampton, N.H. - 43-48--91
Brenda Knott, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 46-46--92
Christa Aleshire, Coppell, Texas - 46-46--92
Susan Webber, Glenview, Ill. - 45-48--93
Nancy Trimarco, Greenfield, Ind. - 50-43--93
Mary Fink, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 49-47--96
Jamie Berge, Anchorage, Alaska - 49-54--103