Kahler, Kolnick earn NEWGA senior championship titles


The Northeastern Women’s Golf Association’s final stroke-play tournament of the season marked first-time victories for Susan Kahler of Ballston Spa and Linda Kolnick of Canajoharie. Kahler led the field in the 67th annual Peggy Enos Seniors and Super Seniors Championships at the Country Club of Troy with a 12-over two-day total of 76-78 (154) to capture her first senior championship on the par 71 course. 
Kahler is now a three-time NEWGA titleist, winning the NEWGA championship in 2007 and 2019. 

“I played really well, the course was in really, really great shape. I knew I had a four-shot lead going into 10, I maintained that lead all the way to 15,” Kahler said. 

She shared a cart with eventual second-place finisher Jen Dilorio of Burden Lake. But Kahler’s bogey on the short uphill par 3 and a double on the par 4 16th made things close down the stretch.

 “I had to do a lot of self-talk to get me to the finish,” she said.

The self-motivation did the trick. Kahler finished with a two-stroke win over Dilorio, who has won the Troy Invitational, a better ball of partners event, many times. “This course just fits my game, I love it,” Dilorio said.   

Kolnick, who has won the NEWGA senior title several times, was awarded the super senior champion Louise Starzenski Cup with a solid two days of play 80-81 (161). 

This is her first year competing as a super senior — she just turned 70 years old.

“The biggest thrill was shooting one of the four lowest scores of the event,” Kolnick said. She placed third overall in the concurrently run tournaments.  “On the second day I was playing more defensively to not screw up. I played much better golf the first day even with shooting an 8 on a par 5.” 

“But like many of us we love to play at Troy and we are thrilled that they had us this year for the seniors event,” she said. 

Kolnick is a member of the organization’s board of directors. Founded in 1929, NEWGA continues to see its membership increase while scheduling tournaments on various courses throughout the Capital Region, thanks to a hard-working board of directors, led by president Donna Heskett, who is in her final year at the helm. 

Flight winners — which in this event are grouped by age — were Dilorio 78-78 (156), Heidi Harkins of Ballston Spa 80-82 (162), Anne Van Buren of Pinehaven 82-84 (166), Kathy Harkins of Ballston Spa, 93-82 (175), Anne Poulin of Mohawk 84-81(165) and Kate Oppedisano of Ballston Spa 92-88 (180).

NEWGA’s final event of the year, a two-person scramble, is scheduled for Wednesday at Cobleskill. 

Golf notes 

Country Club of Troy member and UAlbany golf alumnus Sam Schuffenecker has qualified for the USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Sept. 25-30 at Berkeley Hall North Course in Bluffton, South Carolina.

The Crosstown challenge between Siena College and UAlbany Women’s golf programs will be held Sunday at Wolferts Roost starting at 1 p.m.

The Links to Leadership debut tournament will be held Monday at McGregor Links. PGA/LPGA Teaching Professional Kay McMahon will conduct golf clinics for women at the fundraising event. Proceeds will support the Women’s Employment and Resource Center.  Joyceb10bassett@gmail.com • @joyceb10bassett • timesunion.com/author/joyce-bassett  


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