Tournament Recap

Round 1 Recap

Vienneau Shines in First Round at the Royale NB Ladies Amateur

Kristi Vienneau of the Fredericton Golf Club is the leader after the first round of play at the Country Meadows Golf Club. The Royale Ladies Provincial Championship is being held this week from July 17-19 and Vienneau finished her round at 70, with a 2-shot lead over the 2-time defending champion Angela Drane of Prince Edward Island.

Vienneau began her round with a par on 1 and followed it up with a bogey on the second. She had a birdie on the par 5 fifth and went bogey, birdie on 8 & 9, giving her an even par 36 on the front 9. On the back nine, Vienneau had all straight pars with the exception of hole 13, where Vienneau drained a 150 yard second shot for an eagle, leaving her at 2 under par for the day. Vienneau played as a junior at the Gowan Brae Golf Club in Bathurst, NB, and she attended Grand Valley State University in Michigan, where she played on the University Golf Team. Vienneau won the Royale NB Ladies Amateur Championship in 2005.

Angela Drane had a solid round that consisted of 15 pars. She had only two bogeys on her round, with a birdie on the 14^th, for a 1 over par, 73. Drane plays out Avondale Golf Club and played golf South of the boarder at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. In 3^rd place is Morgan Bell of the Belvedere Golf Club, Prince Edward Island, who is not far behind after shooting 75. Leanne Richardson of the Country Meadows Golf Club sits in 4^th place after her round of 77. In the Amateur Category, players are competing for one of four spots on Team NB which will be traveling to Manitoba at the end of July for the Canadian Ladies Amateur Championship.

In the Senior Category (50-65), Kathy Grebenc fired an opening day 75 and finds herself with a 2 shot lead over Monique Taylor (77), 3 shot advantage over Catherine Burgess (78) of the Riverside Country Club, and a 4 shot edge over Marlene Steeves (79) of Kingswood Park. Grebenc had a 36 on the front nine with her only birdie of the day coming on the 9^th hole. On the back nine, she was 39 with three bogeys on 14, 16, & 17. This is Grebenc’s first year in the senior category and she will be looking make the Senior NB Team on her first attempt.

In the Super-Senior category (65+), Marlene Steeves of Kingswood Park fired a stellar 7 over par, 79. Three shots behind Steeves is Marie Anne Leger from the Country Meadows Golf Club. In the Amateur category’s 2^nd Division, Angela Welch of the Woodstock Golf and Curling Club is leading the division after shooting an 82. Welch was a member of the 2007 NB Ladies Amateur Team. Susan Godin of the Country Meadows Golf Club and Doreen Vienneau of the Pine Needles Golf Club are in a tie for the lead in the third division in the amateur category; they both posted an 88 on Thursday.

In the Senior category’s 2^nd division, Vivian Lynn Jenkins of the Fox Creek Golf Club shot 85 for the outright lead. Marcelle Kervin of the Country Meadows Golf Club and Grace Wilson of Hillsborough Golf Club both fired 96 in their first rounds for a share of the lead in the Seniors 3^rd Division.

The second round of play is set to begin Friday morning at 7:30am. For a complete list of results and Friday tee times, please visit: www.nbga.nb.ca. This event will be a 54 hole stroke play tournament played over three days. In each championship, there will be 3 divisions with both net and gross prizes being awarded.

The New Brunswick Golf Association, a not for profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick. In January of 2006, the NBGA officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province. Programs offered by the NBGA to its 15,000 members include: 18 provincial championships, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, junior golf development programs and member club marketing initiatives.

Royale NB Ladies Championship

July 17, 2008

Country Meadows Golf Club

Round 1 Recap