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By Stan Olenik
For Hometown News
Most of the time when a golfer says they lost their putter it usually means they didn’t have any confidence in their ability to make putts. However, sometimes when a golfer says she lost her putter, it really means she lost her putter.
Stephanie Van Inwagen lost her putter late in the final round of the Coca-Cola Spartanburg County Women’s Amateur championship. It could have been a problem but Van Inwagen managed to play the last four holes using her four-hybrid on the green.
“It was clipped to the bag and it must have fallen out in the tunnel we went through. I used the hybrid and did alright but it made a funny noise when I hit it,” she joked.
Even without a real putter Van Inwagen maintained the five-shot lead, she carried into the final round of the tournament at Woodfin Ridge. The Three Pines golfer shot identical even par rounds of 72 to finish with a 144 total and a five shot victory.
“My driver was working well but my approach shots made the difference, especially my sand wedge,” she said. “I was sticking my sand wedge and that was keeping me in it, even if I wasn’t able to make any long putts,” said the champion.
Morgan Webber fired the best round of the tournament. Last year’s runner-up finished in second place for the second year in a row after shooting a two-under par 70. Taylor Pleier finished another shot back in third place while Sarah Timms shot a final round 74 to claim fourth place in the championship.
The 61-year-old Van Inwagen never trailed the college and high school golfers who had won the championship in recent years. “They are going to have to play to beat this old lady. I can flat out play,” she joked
Van Inwagen won her second tournament at Woodfin Ridge. In May, she won the South Carolina Women’s Golf Associations Senior Amateur title at the course. Van Inwagen won the state title by two shots over five-time champion Karen Ferree.
“I love this course and I love the greens. Playing on bent grass greens is what I played on before moving here,” she said. Van Inwagen has lived in South Carolina for a year. She had operated a business in Connecticut before coming to the Palmetto State.
In addition to the state senior title and now the county amateur championship Van Inwagen has won several other tournaments. “I’m undefeated in South Carolina, she said. It’s not too bad for someone who never played golf until she was 42,” said the champion.
The Spartanburg County tournament included only 12 players this year, one of the lowest numbers in the history of the event. Van Inwagen hopes more women will play in future tournaments.
“I want to be an advocate to get more women to come out and play this course and the tournament,” she said. “I have fun playing and everybody can have a good time even if they don’t win. I hope more golfers will sign up for next year,” said the winner.
Van Inwagen will next be part of the North and South Carolina team that will play against golfers from Virginia and West Virginia later this month.
“I’m really looking forward to making friends with these golfers before I have to compete against them in a future tournament,” concluded the new county champion.
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