Brown Cruises To Heartland Title

Gail Brown gave herself a very nice present for her seventy-first birthday.

Brown, who has been playing golf for more than 50 years, shot a final round of 79 on Sunday for a two-day total of 159 to easily win the Heartland Women's Amateur at Highlands Ridge North.

Brown, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday, was elated with her performance.

"It means a lot to me to win this tournament," said Brown. "I was hoping to celebrate my birthday by shooting my age but it didn't quite work out that way.

"I hit it good off the tee and I chipped and putted pretty well both days which is very important on this course."

Placing second in the Championship Flight was Nela Hodge with a two-day total of 168, while 2007 champion Sheila Chiarandini shot a 169 and defeated Bonnie Lennox in a playoff to finish in third place.

Nan Reno claimed fifth with a 172, Ella Hillier came in sixth at 180 and Toni Fletcher took seventh with a 181.

Nancy Jankovic won the First Flight with a 180 and Nina Greene took second at 183 after beating Carrie Egbert on the second hole of a playoff.

Marilyn Armstrong came in fourth with a 192, Elaine Rotker had a 199 and Joyce Flemming and Carol Grimm tied at 206.

For Brown, who plays frequently at Sun 'N Lake Country Club, the key to winning the tournament was her success on the slick Highlands Ridge North greens.

"These greens are great because you can really get a good feel for them and develop a good stroke," the champion golfer said. "You don't have to pound the ball, you just get it on line and let it roll.

"This is a great tournament and I just wish more of the good women golfers in the area would compete in it because it could really be something special."

That sentiment was echoed by Melissa Doorlag, who is the pro shop manager at Highlands Ridge North and ran the tournament.

"We're so excited for Gail because she has been a supporter of women's golf for years," said Doorlag. "She plays in a lot of tournaments and is a solid player.

"We would love to get more women to compete and we might do a few things differently to attract a larger field to make next year's event bigger and better."