2021 MPWGA Champion Karen Wilson and golf pro Mike Karpe holding up the larger-than-life silver cup. (Photo by Anne Cole)
Ann Lange
Golf, like age, is only a number, unless you are retirement age, have an itchin’ to play near scratch golf, and the number is 165 for a 2-day 36-hole total gross score. On April 20 at the Preserve and April 21 at MountainView, golf whisperer Karen Wilson was in the zone. She came, she golfed, she won.
This was the MPWGA’s (MountainView/Preserve Women’s Golf Association) 21st championship tournament. Thirty-six players in wild, windy weather wore hats with indestructible, hurricane-proof chin straps as they made the rounds challenging the strong gales, competing for the title. When our 16-year MPWGA veteran and former board member was asked about her win, Karen said she played steady, got lucky, and her putter worked hard for her. Karen knows how to give directions to her ball, and her ball knows how to follow directions, and that little Titleist TruFeel felt the love all the way around both courses with scores of 83 and 82. Karen took home some serious golf wages for her windy work, which will probably cover a year’s worth of allowance for her hardworking putter. Her name will be engraved on the plaque displayed near the Mesquite Grill, which honors all champions.
The championship was organized into five flights, with one winning place per flight. The golfers who enjoyed the windfall were: Flight 1 (tying for first) Gail Campbell and Anne Cole, Flight 2 Karen Wilson, Flight 3 Ginger Griffith, Flight 4 Connie Plapinger, and Flight 5 Lan Nguyen. The matadoras closest to the bullseye on the par-three greens, winning pin money were: Preserve number 4 Marilyn Brewer, number 6 Andrea Gray, number 11 Linda Schauer, and number 14 Denny Dalton. At MountainView: number 4 Midge Borchert, number 8 Jackie Kline, number 13 Ann VanSickel, and number 17 Jeana Hodges.
Anne Cole didn’t take home a contribution to her nest egg for her aquiline play on Preserve number 5, but it deserves an honorable mention. Anne used a six hybrid to land sweetly in the fairway, then used a nine iron to soar over the ravine and watched as all 336 dimples eagle-eyed the hole and rolled into the ground aerie. Way to round that par-four down to a two, Anne!
Hats off to our title sponsor HealthySkin Dermatology for their loyal support of our association and events. Double thanks to Ann Martin, two-timing past winner for organizing this event. Full marks to our champions behind the scene, weekly event chairs Barb Laskowski and Jackie Kline, for all their work, including producing flights, pairings, and scorecards.
Karen says that winning the title came as a surprise, but that sometimes surprises are good. For Karen, life is to finish strong with good friends alongside, and she thanks her playing partners Denny, Janey, and Jacque. She attributes her calmness to the verses she keeps handy in her cart that keep her grounded. Life sure looks good through golf goggles, especially if you’re wearing them to deflect the blinding sun bouncing brightly on the silver cup taken home by 2021 Club Champion Karen Wilson.