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WGAWP final set for today

Friday, July 25, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

BEALLSVILLE, Pa. -- This is what Carol Semple Thompson does to the young challengers she affectionately refers to as "the ponytails:"

Just when Madeleine Lovette, 16, peeled off three consecutive birdies to sneak back into their semifinal match, Thompson put a sudden end to a potential mounting drama by hitting a 9-iron to 3 feet for birdie at the 127-yard 16th.

That stopped the giggles and put Thompson, the reigning four-time U.S. Women's Senior Amateur champion, where she always seems to be -- playing for the championship of the Women's Golf Association of Western Pennsylvania at Nemacolin Country Club.

Thompson, 54, will meet Shannopin club champion Wendy Knafel-Driscoll, who needed 20 holes to beat Lauren George of Uniontown in the championship match today.

"Had to," Thompson said of her dart at No. 16, which finished off a 4-and-2 victory against Lovette, a junior-to-be at Westmont Hilltop High School near Johnstown. "She was starting to make it interesting."

Thompson, the defending champ, has won the event 10 times in a decorated amateur career that includes 12 appearances on the U.S. Curtis Cup team. But she has never managed to win the tournament in back-to-back years.

She gets another chance today against Driscoll, a former LPGA teaching professional who had to come back from 3 down in her match against George, a junior-to-be and No. 3 player at the University of Kentucky.

Driscoll parred the second extra hole to advance to the championship match for the second time in four years. Driscoll lost to Jennifer Patterson of Bethel Park in the final at Oakmont in 2000.

"Carol's tough to play because she plays competitive golf all year long," said Driscoll, who lost to Thompson in the 2001 semifinal round. "Her tempo is so great."

Thompson put together her best showing of the five-day event.

She was 3 up after nine holes against Lovette, a two-time PIAA District 6 champion. Then Thompson went 6 up with six to play by winning the next three holes with two pars and a 10-foot birdie at the par-3 11th.

"She didn't play well at the start," Thompson said. "I played the best that I have all week. It was the first time I broke 40 on the front (which is par-38)."

Lovette, who plays on the boys' team at Westmont Hilltop, didn't quit. She made three consecutive birdies, beginning at the par-5 13th, to keep Thompson from having another easy match. (Her previous two victories were 5 and 4.) It started when Lovette pitched to 6 feet for birdie at No. 13, rolled in a 10-foot birdie at the 137-yard 14th, then attacked a back pin and made another 10-footer at the 353-yard 15th.

But, at the par-3 16th, which had a front pin on a steep two-tiered green, Lovette pushed her tee shot 30 feet to the right. Thompson then stoned a 9-iron to 3 feet to end the match.

"The only time I started to relax," said Thompson, "was when she hit her shot to the right at 16.

Driscoll, down three after seven holes, rallied to win three of the next four holes to even her match with George. It appeared as though Driscoll would end the match at No. 18 when George drove into the left rough, missed the green right and left a shot in the greenside bunker. But Driscoll three-putted from 25 feet for bogey and George made a 5-footer to force extra holes.