Lichtman in lead at Manitoba Women’s Amateur

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This article was published 05/07/2010 (5921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TWO-TIME defending champion Jill Hardy withdrew from the Golf Manitoba Women’s Amateur Championship this weekend, opening the door for several other contenders to step forward and claim the title.

Playing at her home course of St. Boniface, Mindy Lichtman has taken that opportunity and run with it.

Lichtman started the tournament with a blistering 3-under on the front nine in the first round on Saturday, never bogeying until a double on the par-4 16th. She finished the day with an even-par 74.

Lichtman, who missed last year’s tournament to compete in the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, struggled on the greens early on Sunday but found her stroke on the back-9, finishing with a solid 4-over 78.

Despite a five-stroke lead on Elmhurst Golf & Country Club’s Angela Martens after two rounds, Lichtman isn’t getting overconfident. In fact, it’s against her nature. “I’m never totally comfortable,” she said, adding that she’s so nervous before a round she usually doesn’t eat all morning.

“I’m just hoping to play well, shoot another 70 and make the team.”

The top four finishers in the tournament will make up the Manitoba Provincial Amateur Team, who will compete in the Royale Cup Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Kingsville Golf & Country Club in Kingsville, Ont. at the end of the month.

Also within striking distance of Lichtman is Elmhurst’s Bri-Ann Tokariwski. The recent graduate of St. Mary’s Academy finished the first round only three strokes back of Lichtman, but admitted the added pressure of being within striking distance rattled her on Sunday.

She said she “started out a lot more nervous (than in the first round),” shooting five bogeys in the first eight holes. She managed to recover with a strong back-nine and currently sits six back of the leader.

“I’m feeling pretty good, pretty confident.”

Meanwhile, in the Golf Manitoba Women’s Senior Championship, being held simultaneously with the Amateur, Elmhurst’s Judi Lidstone recovered from a difficult first round with a 5-over 79 on Sunday — the best round of the Senior tournament thus far — to claim the second-round lead with an 18-over 166.

She said she felt strong off the tee, and her putter, which caused her some trouble in the first round, co-operated a little bit better.

“I hit some good putts, I hit some crappy putts.”

Falling squarely in the former category was her final shot of the round, a snaking birdie putt on the tricky 18th green, which had been a nightmare for players all weekend. Lidstone’s birdie was the first, and only, on 18 in the tournament thus far.

Sitting two strokes back of Lidstone entering Monday’s final round are last year’s runner-up Karen Saarimaki, playing out of Kenogamisis Golf Club in Geraldton, Ont., and 2008 champion Noreen Stewart of Southwood Golf & Country Club.

As with the Amateur, the top four finishers will comprise the Manitoba Provincial Senior Team, who will play in the Royale Cup Canadian Women’s Senior Championship at Morningstar Golf Course in Parksville, B.C., in late August.

andrew.evans@freepress.mb.ca