Towersey -- in her element (match play)

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Marianne Towersey of Santa Ana Country Club, the

undisputed golf queen of the Newport-Mesa community, is demonstrating on

a national scale what we already know about her game.

And, like other certain talented golfers, Towersey perks up in match

play.

“It does,” she said. “I’m highly competitive and in match play I’m

more relaxed and you can be more aggressive on your putts.”

In an upset of sorts, a confident Towersey defeated Sue Nyhus of Salt

Lake City, Utah, in the first round of match play in the U.S. Women’s

Mid-Amateur Championship, 4 and 2, at Big Canyon Country Club.

Towersey advanced to today’s second round and will tee off against

Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas, Texas, at 7:39 a.m. The third round of match

play will follow in the afternoon.

“(Creekmore) has quite a reputation as a golfer. She has no idea who I

am,” said Towersey, who made five birdies in her match against Nyhus, who

shot 153 (77-76) in stroke play and qualified for the championship in the

top 15.

Towersey, of Newport Beach, made the cut in the 64-player field after

carding a 161 (80-81). But Towersey, the course-record holder at Big

Canyon with a 69, discovered her putter Thursday in the USGA’s 13th and

final national championship of 2000.

‘I’m very encouraged about my game,” said Towersey, who has won 16

club championships in 19 years at Santa Ana and three consecutive Tea Cup

Classic titles. “I hit the ball well (Thursday) and managed to convert.

I’m looking forward to (today).”

Olivia Slutzky of Big Canyon Country Club was defeated in the first

round by Laura Coble of Augusta, Ga., 5 and 3.

For Towersey, her most incredible birdie putt came at the par-4 No. 8

(347 yards), when she drained a 30-foot downhill, side-hill python that

broke four feet.

Nyhus, a former pro, was last year’s runner-up in the U.S. Women’s

Amateur Public Links at Santa Ana (N.M.) Golf Club.

Towersey birdied hole No. 2, then Nyhus tied it with a birdie on No.

3. Towersey’s 15-foot downhill putt for par on No. 4 gave her confidence,

then a string of birdies started on No. 5.

Towersey birdied holes 5, 7 and 8 to go 3 up, then matched Nyhus’

birdie on No. 11, after a beautiful chip to within four feet of the flag.

Nyhus double bogeyed No. 15 and three-putted 16 as Towersey clinched it.

“It’s a hilly course, and it may come down to stamina at the end of

(today),” Towersey said. “I’m definitely going to take along a peanut

butter and jelly sandwich. In fact, I’ll make two sandwiches in morning

in case I make it (to the third round) in the afternoon. It’s exciting. I

like it. I’m in the thick of it.”

Towersey, a Newport Harbor High golf coach, said she received an

insightful putting lesson early Thursday from former Big Canyon women’s

club champion Sally Holstein prior to making five birdies.