It was a busy morning Tuesday at the St. Joseph Country Club, where competitors for the 50th Annual Highland Classic took their golf skills to the links. Women golfers from northern Missouri took to the course in groups to showcase their talents.
“A lot of these women are the top women in Northwest Missouri,” tournament chairman Jackie Runyan said. “It’s very competitive. Great partners, and their traditions. They have played most of them with the same partner for many, many years and they look forward to it, it’s kind of their little getaway.”
The country club has held the event since it began back in 1973, this classic was limited to women, as the men just wrapped up their 70th annual event. Now going 50 years strong, there has only been one year the classic wasn’t held and that was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now back on track, the annual event for the past ten year, has done the tournament in a best ball format. This year, 50 teams took the course, a perfect number for pacing according to Runyan.
“To come and play in this tournament, they like the tradition of what we do, what we give them for it,” Runyan said. “We have a great breakfast, we have a great lunch, many awards and celebrations after play and they look forward to that.”
The 18-hole scramble leaderboard was broken into five flights. The first flight was won by Joy Vandel and Ali Perry, who shot nine-under par to finish at 63. Second place would be filled by Erin Priddy and Trish Herzog, who shot six-under par to finish at 66.
Flight two was grouped together with a five person tie. All five pairings shot three-over par to finish at 75. Those pairings included Molle Olszowka and Stacie Palmer, Grace Landed and Glenna Miller, Betsy Bing and Lara Gilpin, Judy Ecton and Joan Sherwood, and Kristy Eaton and Patty White.
Flight three had a two-way tie for first place. Kathy Ungles and Sue Owens finished seven-over par to finish at 79. The pairing of Karen Higginbotham and Just Wisneski would boast the same scorecard. Flight four also had a two-way tie for first place. Connie Jago and Robin Pettegrew notched the same score as the pairing of Connie Truelove and Jacki Jendall. Both pairings finished at 11-over par to finish at 83.
The last and final flight was won outright by Janice Hatcher and Jo Ann Whittington. They shot 16-over par to finish at 88.
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