2021 U.S. Women’s Open competitor Leigha Devine, CGA Women’s Senior Player of Year Kristine Franklin make quarterfinals of CGA Women’s Match Play
By Gary Baines – 6/9/2021
A week after Leigha Devine competed in the U.S. Women’s Open — and after Lauren Lehigh, Caroline Jordaan and Kaylee Chen played in the final round of the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open after making the cut — that foursome will join four other golfers in the quarterfinals of the 106th CGA Women’s Match Play at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.
After three days of round-robin action at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, the winner of eight pods will tee it up in the final eight on Friday morning at Colorado Golf Club after an optional practice day on Thursday.
Four of the quarterfinalists won all three of their round-robin matches: Devine, a Rutgers University golfer who plays out of Ptarmigan Country Club; Lehigh, a University of New Mexico player from Loveland; Chen, a Cherry Creek High School student and a member of the CGA’s Hale Irwin Player Program at CommonGround; and Kristine Franklin of The Ranch Country Club, a three-time CGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year. In addition, Josie Baker of Sherman Oaks, Calif., went 2-0 and had a bye in her three-person pod.
University of Denver golfer Jordaan, from Cherry Hills Country Club, and Colorado Mesa University player Elly Walters, from Battlement Mesa Golf Club, both won two of three matches and tied the third. Katie Berrian, a Creighton University golfer from the Country Club at Castle Pines, went 2-1 and won a playoff to advance.
Lehigh (4 and 2, 6 and 4, and 7 and 5) and Devine (3 and 2, 6 and 5, and 7 and 6) have been particularly dominant so far this week.
On Friday at Colorado Golf Club, the quarterfinals will feature, in bracket order, Berrian vs. Baker, Devine vs. Walters, Jordaan vs. Chen, and Lehigh vs. Franklin. Then the winners will square off in the semifinals on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, CGC will host 36-hole finals of both the Women’s Match Play and the men’s CGA Match Play.
This week marks the first time the CGA Women’s Match Play and men’s Match Play have been held concurrently and at the same sites. Utilizing pod play on the early days of the tournaments is also new for the championships — as is switching courses during the course of the competitions.
The Match Play (which debuted in 1901) and the Women’s Match Play (1916) are the CGA’s oldest two championships.
Colorado Golf Club has hosted a Senior PGA Championship, a Solheim Cup and a U.S. Mid-Amateur in the last 11-plus years. Both the Solheim Cup and the Mid-Am are match-play events.
CGA Women’s Match Play Schedule
FRIDAY QUARTERFINALS AT COLORADO GC IN PARKER
Katie Berrian, CC at Castle Pines vs. Josie Baker of Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Elly Walters, Battlement Mesa GC vs. Leigha Devine, Ptarmigan CC
Caroline Jordaan, Cherry Hills CC vs. Kaylee Chen of Parker
Lauren Lehigh of Loveland vs. Kristine Franklin, The Ranch CC
FRIDAY SEMIFINALS AT COLORADO GC IN PARKER
Berrian/Baker winner vs. Walters/Devine winner
Jordaan/Chen winner vs. Lehigh/Franklin winner
SATURDAY’S 36-HOLE FINAL AT COLORADO GC IN PARKER
For complete results, CLICK HERE.