USGA Senior Women's Am champ to compete at Meadow Springs

RICHLAND, Wash. - Meadow Springs Country Club serves the site today and Tuesday of the 27th Pacific Northwest Senior Women's Amateur Championship and the 2nd Pacific Northwest Super Senior Women's Amateur Championship.

This year's field for the events, staged by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, includes defending and two-time champion Alison Murdoch of Victoria, British Columbia, (2005, '11), 2010 champion Terri Frohnmayer of Salem, Ore., and 2004 champion Rachel Whittington of Lake Oswego, Ore.

Frohnmayer won the 2011 USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn., and made a return trip to the championship this year.

Last year, Murdoch used home-course knowledge at Victoria (B.C.) Golf Club for a 6-over-par 150 total and a four shot victory over Frohnmayer. With the win, Murdoch became the fourth player in the history of the championship to win more than once, joining such Pacific Northwest greats as Joan Edwards-Powell, who won an astonishing seven times.

The Super Senior field is headlined by the two runners-up from last year's championship. Bellevue's Ann Swanson, PNGA Hall of Famer and 2000 Pacific Northwest Senior Women's Amateur champion, and Bonnie Vahcic of Port Ludlow, Wash., finished five strokes behind inaugural champion Carole Holm of Renton.

There are 56 players competing in the Senior Championship, while 24 players will be competing in the Super Senior Championship.

To be eligible for the Senior Championship, players must be 55 years of age, and for the Super Senior Championship, players must be 65 years of age.

The 36-hole stroke-play competition begins at 8:30 a.m. today.

The Pacific Northwest Senior Women's and Super Senior Women's Amateur Championships are two of 16 regional championships conducted annually by the PNGA.

For pairings, live scoring, and more information, go to www.thepnga.org.

This story was originally published October 1, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "USGA Senior Women's Am champ to compete at Meadow Springs."