Janey Clausen, 12th president; Ann Martin, 11th president; 2021 Presidents Cup Champion Midge Mollenkopf; Connie Sherman, 3rd president; and Debbie McMullin, 13th and current president (Photo by Andrea Gray)
Ann Lange
This year marked the 21st annual MountainView/Preserve Women’s Golf Association’s (MPWGA) Presidents Cup Championship honoring our 12 past presidents, and our current president, Debbie McMullin. However, the best-laid plans of mice and men and the MPWGA, often go awry when the Presidents Cup is scheduled during leprechaun season. The 2020 championship was altered due to the pandemic and this year it was altered by the hanky-panky of a few little hooligans dressed in green who thought it hilarious to sneak onto the golf courses during the night and paint them white. The shenanigans caused the cancellation of the first of the consecutive two-day, 36-hole tournament set to begin March 16 at the Preserve. The bonny lasses did not waste their time dithering around in Direland, the little rascals had MountainView painted back to green the next day, and the championship became a one-day, 18-hole low net score celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. Our past presidents inspired us with many values including adaptability and community spirit, and to play the game we love come rain or shine. Just not snow.
The following beautiful and sunny day at MountainView, 39 players garbed in glittery green outfits with beads, good luck charms, shamrocks, and hats began their roundabout. Each of 7 flights allowed 3 winning places, and with a few tie scores, Lady Luck found 23 winners, whose net scores ranged 67-78. There was no pot o’ gold waiting at the end of the rainbow, but a huge stash o’ green cash with pictures of past U.S. presidents on it.
Two lucky and charming women, Midge Mollenkopf and Corky Bosch, shot an impressive net 67. Midge found the path to the green, green grass of home on the first hole of the sudden death playoff to take the title. Congratulations to both Midge and Corky for their fabulous rounds!
Following the championship, 25 players returned for the afternoon awards presentation. The Greenies who found four-leaf clovers on the par-3 clover patches close enough to the pin to mark their balls with lucky pennies were: number 4, Karen Erickson; number 8 and number 17, Gail Campbell; and number 13, Diane Anderson. Kim Cox left the other players green with envy with her win for best Saint Patrick’s Day outfit.
We appreciate our title sponsor, Golf Cars of Arizona, for their dedicated support. Many thanks to our tournament chair and last year’s champion, Donna Watson, for planning the event, and fitting two days of fun into one. As always, heaps of gratitude to our local pros, Matt Hudson and Mike Karpe, for their part in the enjoyment and success of our club events on our lush green playground.
Faith, hope, and love—virtues our past MPWGA presidents surely hoped for in their members, are represented by the three heart-shaped leaves of a clover. The fourth leaf, found on about one in 10,000 clovers, and about as rare as a golfer able to shoot a net 67, represents luck. We know how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful community, where among our bountiful blessings is our ability to adapt and go with the flow, and the snow.