Shelly Stouffer leads both the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master
divisions following play on Friday
Courtenay, B.C. – The Margaret Todd Trophy won’t have to travel far, as the host province, Team British Columbia have claimed the team championship beating out Team Alberta at the 2024 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur at the Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community (Crown Isle) in Courtenay, B.C.
Team British Columbia finished with a combined score of 8-over, to beat Alberta by ten shots in the 36-hole event. The host province was represented by Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C., Jamie Oleksiew of Vancouver, B.C. and Aram Choi of Surrey, B.C.
On Friday, Stouffer led the charge firing a 4-under 68, while Oleksiew recorded a 7-over 79 to have their scores count toward the team total. The two lowest scores from the three team members are recorded towards the team’s combined score for the day.
“It’s nice to finish on top, it doesn’t feel good to come in second and we came in second both at the Mid-Am and the Senior last year, so I am pretty happy to get back to winning and with a different team. It’s always fun to win the gold for sure,” said Stouffer on her team’s win on Friday.
Along with firing the low round of the day, Stouffer has found herself back in familiar territory as she now sits atop the leaderboard in both the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions. Stouffer is currently at 1-under for the tournament and holds a three-shot lead on round one leader Catherine Matranga of Fort Worth, Texas, heading into the final round at Crown Isle.
Stouffer credited her strong round to hitting 16 greens coupled with strong putting on Friday.
“My putting and distance control was really good, so I didn’t really have a lot of stressful pars. I made one key sand save on number six and had to make a 12-footer there and that kept me going because I had just birdied five and was nice to not have a birdie then a bogey right after, so it was awesome to make that putt,” added Stouffer.
Stouffer noted that one of the two holes that she three-putted on Thursday happened to be the 6th after finding a bunker. She went on to double bogey the hole in the opening round but made up for it with par on Friday. The back nine is where Stouffer really took charge, birding three of her final four holes to record a 68.
“I just kept hitting greens and two-putting and getting close to birdies and I thought I’m going to make one here or there. I made a long one on 15 and then about a 15-footer on 16 and then I made a 30-footer on 18, so I rolled in some long ones at the end,” said Stouffer.
Stouffer admitted that she didn’t do any scoreboard watching on Friday, and that the course felt a bit shorter during her round although some pin placements made for some trickier shot making. This is familiar territory for Stouffer, who won the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Inter-Provincial Team Championship in 2022, she will rely on that experience heading into tomorrow’s final round.
“All the experiences you go through definitely help to prepare for any tournament. The more tournament experience you have the better and also being able to know how to win is a definite plus.
“So, I will just do the same thing as I have the past two days. Just keeping in the present and just be calm and hit fairways and greens that’s all I’m going to try to do and make some putts like I did today,” she added following her round on Friday.
In addition, Stouffer also holds a five-shot lead in the Mid-Master division over Taya Battistella of Bellingham, Wash. Battistella also sits alone in third in the Mid- Amateur division.
The tournament began with a field of 64 golfers (aged 25-and-over as of July 11, 2024), with a handicap index of 12.0. The individual winner of the Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will receive an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, taking place from September 7-12 at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass. In addition, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
For leaderboard following Friday’s second round at the 2024 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, click here.
