DEAL, N.J. – Joan Higgins and Canada’s Judith Kyrinis have advanced to the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur final, winning two matches Wednesday at Hollywood Golf Club.
The 58-year-old Higgins, a former University of Wisconsin tennis player who lives in Glendora, California, beat the reigning Canadian Women’s Senior champion Helene Chartrand 1 up in the morning quarterfinals, and then went in to top Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho, 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
“I need to play pretty well, because I know in the final I am playing someone who has played five great rounds, too,” said Higgins, the 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion. “Hopefully, tomorrow I can start playing the same way I ended today.”
The 50-year-old Kyrinis, a registered nurse in Toronto and member of Thornhill Golf & Country Club, had two 3-and-2 victories over past champions. She beat 2010 winner Mina Hardin of Mexico in the quarterfinals and 2011 winner Terri Frohnmayer of Salem, Oregon, in the semifinals.
“It’s awesome,” Kyrinis said. “It’s been awhile for me to get back here and play some good golf.”
Attempting to become the first Canadian winner since Marlene Stewart Streit in 2003, Kyrinis was a semifinalist in the 2000 Mid-Amateur.
“I didn’t want to go out in the semifinals again because nobody remembers that,” Kyrinis said.
In the other quarterfinals, Markle routed Susan West of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 7 and 6, and Frohnmayer edged Kim Eaton of Tempe, Arizona, 2 and 1.