Golf: Tea Cup was a true classic

Richard Dunn

The lasting memories of Tea Cup Classic IV are the special effects,

like a high-tech movie, but only in this one it’s easy on the eyes and

soft on the ears.

There are clear and distinct rooting sections for each club as members

gallery to support their women’s club champion in the Newport-Mesa

community’s decide-all shootout for an area golf queen.

Marianne Towersey of Santa Ana Country Club continues to prove why

this unique pocket of the world has such great golf and standout ladies.

Case in point: Five-time Newport Beach Country Club champion Debbie

Albright wins an Orange County Championship in a similar format earlier

this year at Strawberry Farms Golf Club, but gets in her backyard and,

well, finds Towersey.

Albright and Towersey are beautiful golfers and can win anywhere,

including the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship Oct. 3-8 at Big

Canyon Country Club, where Towersey holds the women’s course record of

69.

Both shot 76 on Friday in an unforgettable Tea Cup that was truly a

classic.

Part of the early action witnessed by the rolling crowd of 200

(estimated) was an incredible 30-foot birdie putt by Albright at hole No.

1, then the gallery saw Colette Taormina of host Big Canyon grab a share

of the lead on the treacherous par-5 No. 2 (409 yards).

Taormina, whose husband and caddie, Vince, provided 18 holes of loving

encouragement while his wife was nervous playing in front of a large

gallery for the first time in her life, made a 10-foot birdie putt on No.

2, following a nice third shot to the green.

Hole No. 2, however, was tough on Denise Woodard of Mesa Verde Country

Club. Her tee shot went out of bounds, then her next shot landed in the

water. On her drop, Woodard went short of the green and faced an

extremely difficult lie on a steep embankment, but chipped up nicely and

two-putted for quadruple bogey.

Woodard recovered on the back nine with a 44, making par on 13, 15 and

18 to secure third place.

Other Tea Cup Classic IV highlights:

-- It was a warm day with a slight breeze, but the putts didn’t fall.

Woodard, whose distance off the tee has increased tremendously since

last year, had a putt somehow get stuck on the lip and not fall into the

cup. It was unfair.

Towersey, who missed a difficult left-to-right three-footer on 13 to

draw even with Albright at 3-over-par, almost won Tea Cup Classic IV in

regulation. But her putt at 18 wouldn’t fall, even though she raised her

putter in the air and started walking in a celebratory manner.

“The greens were very difficult this afternoon,” said Towersey’s

caddie, Alan Burch of Santa Ana Country Club. “There is a lot of

undulation. But a lot of the putts we missed were just because of missed

reads.”

It is easy to see why Towersey shot a 69 at Big Canyon on April 25 in

a ladies’ member/guest day.

-- Albright and Towersey hugging on the 18th green.

-- A bouquet of light pink roses from Big Canyon Country Club to the

winner (which was Towersey again in Michael Jordanesque fashion, i.e.

three-peating). What a great touch from Big Canyon.

-- Big Canyon Country Club Director of Golf Bob Lovejoy smelling like

champagne after he was pouring the ladies’ glasses with the bubbly and

spilled a little on himself.

-- Fletcher “Ted” Jones was on hand to introduce the players at the

first tee.

The Tea Cup Classic is played under the auspices of the Fletcher Jones

Motorcars/Daily Pilot Club Championship Series, which launched the Jones

Cup for men this year.

And, folks, we’re just starting the fun!

There are some first names synonymous with athletic greatness, like

Tiger and Reggie. Around here, it’s Marianne.

Period.

When a local speaks of someone named Marianne in these parts, there

could only be one here at the turn of the millennium.

Albright’s fine play should come as no surprise to fellow Newport

Beach members.

The week prior to the Tea Cup Classic, Albright won the Wahine Open

with guest Jan Dailacis of Heritage Palms. Like Albright, Dailacis is

from New Zealand.

They defeated Sandi Coffer and Candy Meyers (Glendora) in a playoff.

Nobody in the foursome made a hole-in-one to win a prize on the par-3

holes, including the 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML320 sports utility vehicle on

hole No. 7 (141 yards).

There was some discussion about hole-in-ones at the luncheon prior to

tee time.

Albright, who said she has never made a hole-in-one and is still

waiting for the big moment, came closest to driving away with a brand new

Mercedes, when her tee shot landed five feet from the stick.

“Do you have closest-to-the-pin in this tournament?” Albright quipped.

Towersey, who has made three career hole-in-ones, came within eight

feet of the flag on No. 7.

Speaking of hole-in-ones, Taormina was once late for team competition

while playing for PGA West in La Quinta, and, when she finally arrived at

Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, the other ladies didn’t think she

would be much of a factor.

After all, Taormina didn’t warm up and was racing to tie her golf

shoes at the first tee, with the other ladies sitting with their legs

crossed and looking at their watches.

That day, however, Taormina shot her career-best round of 75 and even

added a hole-in-one.

Taormina told the story at lunch prior to Tea Cup Classic IV, then

added: “Maybe I shouldn’t warm up and hit balls.”

When Taormina was asked how she can play golf so well with seven

children, she said: “I do this for my sanity.”

Dennis Harwood of Big Canyon Country Club, a golf rules official for

the United States Golf Association and Southern California Golf

Association, is the general co-chairman of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

in two months.

As a warmup for the Mid-Amateur, Harwood, a former Newport Harbor High

basketball star (circa ‘56), served as rules official for Tea Cup Classic

IV with Lovejoy.

Also, kudos to Benny Lujan of Newport Beach Country Club for serving

as scorer.

Albright’s husband, Jock, celebrated his 50th birthday at the

inaugural Jones Cup (July 28) with his wife in the gallery.

And, as usual, he was there again Friday to support his wife and

Newport Beach Country Club women’s champion in Tea Cup Classic IV. The

day prior to the Tea Cup, Albright celebrated her 43rd birthday.

Jock Albright, however, injured his ankle recently and was relegated

to riding in a golf cart most of Friday.

A special thanks goes out to Big Canyon, a first-class operation, for

hosting the Tea Cup Classic.