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CN Canadian Women’s Tour – 2006 Season Recap
CN Canadian Women’s Tour @
Duncan Meadows Golf and Country Club, Duncan, British Columbia – May 10, 2006
Golf fans and spectators at Duncan Meadows Golf and Country Club were treated to a thrilling finish as American Taya Battistella outlasted four other golfers with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win the season-opening event on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour.
Battistella fired rounds of 73-77 and finished regulation tied with fellow Americans Kim Kouwabunpat of Upland, California and Jessica Carafiello of Coral Springs, Florida as well as Canadians Lisa Meldrum of Montreal and Mary Ann Lapointe of Georgetown, Ont. at six-over 150.
The 26-year old Oregon native had a chance for the outright victory on the 18th hole but three-putted from 25 feet for bogey to open the door to the playoff. Battistella would regain her composure on the first playoff hole and with two of her competitors sitting with putts for par, she would drain a 40-foot chip for birdie to seal the victory.
CN Canadian Women’s Tour @
Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club, Barrie, Ontario – May 30, 2006
In classic playoff fashion, the CN Canadian Women’s Tour came down to the wire as Salimah Mussani of Burlington, Ont. edged out Corina Kelepouris of Drayton Valley, Alta. on the first playoff hole to win at Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club and earn the exemption into the 2006 CN Canadian Women’s Open.
A two-hour lightning delay couldn’t deter the excitement as spectators at Settlers’ Ghost were treated to a thrilling finish. Mussani took a one-stroke lead to the par-four 18th hole but couldn’t close it out as she hooked her approach, chipped on and two putted for a bogey finish. Kelepouris seized the opportunity by sinking a six-foot par putt to force the playoff at four-under 140.
The playoff would see Kelepouris find the trees off the tee and eventually chip out opening the door for Mussani. Kelepouris would recover with an approach shot to within a foot to put the pressure squarely on Mussani. With victory in reach, Mussani calmly sank a 25-foot birdie putt to exorcise two days of flat-stick demons and capture the title.
CN Canadian Women’s Tour @
Ottawa Hunt Club, Ottawa, Ontario – July 18, 2006
Salimah Mussani quickly became the hottest name in Canadian women’s golf as the 26-year old Burlington, Ont. native reeled off back to back rounds of six-under 66 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club to outlast the field and win her second consecutive CN Canadian Women’s Tour title.
Mussani, who had already earned an exemption into the CN Canadian Women’s Open by virtue of her Tour victory at Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club in Barrie, Ont. fired seven birdies on the day to sail to a convincing eight-stroke victory and the $5,000 winners share of the $30,000 CDN purse.
Montreal native Lisa Meldrum carded a three-under 69 to finish runner-up at four-under for the championship followed by 2005 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Laura Matthews of Essex, Ont. (three-under) and Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont. (two-under).
Following play, the final CN Canadian Women’s Tour exemptions along the Pathway to Champions into the CN Canadian Women’s Open were handed out with Canadians taking home five of the seven spots into Canada’s only stop on the LPGA Tour.
With Mussani having already earned an exemption at Settlers’ Ghost and American Taya Battistella of Bend, Ore. winning the season-opening event in Duncan, B.C., the next five players on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit earned their way into the London event.
The list of exempt players includes Canadians Corina Kelepouris of Drayton Valley, Alta., Lisa Meldrum of Montreal, Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont. and Cheryl Mitchell of Walpole Island, Ont. as well as American Michelle Simpson of New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Mitchell earned the final of the seven spots by the narrowest of margins edging out Mary Ann Lapointe by a mere 2.5 points.
CN Canadian Women’s Tour Championship @
Summerlea Golf & Country Club, Vanudreuil-Dorion, Quebec – September1, 2006
Montreal native Lisa Meldrum led wire-to-wire at the $50,000, CN Canadian Women’s Tour Championship to capture her first professional win and an exemption into the 2007 CN Canadian Women’s Open.
Meldrum, 24, breezed through her final round winning in convincing fashion by 11 strokes over Kim Brozer of Red Deer, Alta. Meldrum was the only golfer to finish the week under par at minus seven, with a three day score of 71-69-69--209.
She entered the day with a two-stroke lead over Brozer and extended it to 11 after carding four birdies in another three-under, 69 round. Brozer fell back early and the entire field just couldn’t keep pace as Meldrum turned the championship into a runaway victory with her hometown friends and family watching on.
With the win, Meldrum pocketed a $8,333 share of the $50,000 purse and a free pass into the 2007 CN Canadian Women’s Open held August 13-19 at Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club in Edmonton, Alta. She also claimed top spot on the Tour’s Order of Merit standings which earned her the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year honours and an additional $3,000.
Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year Award
Lisa Meldrum, Kirkland, Que.
Top Amateur of the Year AwardMary Ann Lapointe, Georgetown, Ont.
Top Club/Teaching Professional of the Year Award
Laura Witvoet, Ponoka, Alta.
Click here for full results from the 2006 CN Canadian Women’s Tour.
