Coloradan Andonian-Smith finishes runner-up in PGA national Winter Women’s Stroke Play
By Gary Baines – 2/18/2020
Sherry Andonian-Smith of Centennial has proven a formidable competitor both in Colorado and in national events in recent years, so it should come as no surprise that the Colorado PGA professional was in contention this week in the PGA Winter Championships’ national Women’s Stroke Play Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Andonian-Smith, the Colorado PGA’s Women’s Player of the Year each of the past two years, closed with a 5-under-par 67 at PGA Golf Club — the best round of the tournament by two strokes— to finish second in the event on Tuesday. She missed a 15-foot birdie attempt on the final hole that would have forced a playoff.
“I thought I had a chance (to win),” Andonian-Smith told PGATournaments.com. “I was trying to make that putt at 18. My putter was amazing. I don’t usually play well on Bermuda grass.”
The Valley Country Club instructor, who won the 2019 Colorado PGA Women’s Championship, posted a 213 total in Florida (72-74-67) to end up one stroke behind champion Lisa Grimes of of Alexandria, Minn., who also won in 2018. The showing was worth $1,700 for Andonian-Smith.
Also posting a top-10 finish on Tuesday out of the 27-woman field was fellow Coloradan Alexandra Braga of Edgewater, who tied for eighth and earned $450 with her 220 total (72-77-71).