Tea Cup Classic: Olivia Slutzky

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Anything can happen in an 18-hole event, so Olivia

Slutzky of Big Canyon Country Club isn’t concerned about experience or

playing in front of a gallery.

In fact, Slutzky can’t wait to tee off Friday at 1 p.m. in the locally

famous Tea Cup Classic at Newport Beach Country Club, which is hosting

the event for the second time.

A former equestrian competitor, Slutzky, who still rides horses but

tees it up more often these days, didn’t start playing golf until six

years ago at age 27.

But, since Slutzky is young and has lowered her handicap from double

digits to a 3.5 in about a year, it looks like Big Canyon could have

another longtime champion around. Marie Gray is the club’s all-time

leader with eight women’s club championships (1975-76, 1978-’83).

“Because I came to golf late, I think I need to build more confidence

in my touch, or feel, around the greens and in my short game,” said

Slutzky, who will square off in Tea Cup Classic V against Debbie Albright

of Newport Beach, Denise Woodard of Mesa Verde Country Club and

three-time defending Tea Cup champion Marianne Towersey of Santa Ana

Country Club.

“But,” Slutzky added, “the more you’re focused on doing that, the

better you’ll get, and the only way to get good at it is do it under

pressure when you want to get close to the pin or green.

“That’s where I need to focus my energies. I think in general I’m a

competitive person by nature, which is what makes me love golf as much as

I do.”

Slutzky, who frequently shoots in the 70s, earned her inaugural Tea

Cup invitation by capturing this year’s Big Canyon title.

She is not only the youngest player in the history of the Tea Cup, but

the most inexperienced. Slutzky also has never played Newport Beach

Country Club, but said she intends to play the layout before Friday.

In a one-day golf tournament, however, the so-called disadvantages

could turn out to be advantages.

Slutzky, the event’s only newcomer, comes from the perspective of

nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“She’s an exciting addition (to the Tea Cup Classic),” Towersey said

of Slutzky, the fourth different player from Big Canyon to compete in the

event in four years, following Selby Schriber (1997-98), Sally Holstein

and Colette Taormina.

Schriber won the inaugural Tea Cup in ’97 and automatically qualified

the following year, when the golf course at Big Canyon was being

remodeled and the women’s club championship was not played.

(The Tea Cup Classic was started by this sports section in 1997 to

decide an annual Daily Pilot women’s club champion and bring the golf

community closer together.)

Last spring, Slutzky won her first Big Canyon women’s club

championship after carding a four-round 325 and winning by 26 strokes.

Last fall, when Big Canyon hosted the Women’s U.S. Mid-Amateur

Championship, Slutzky took advantage of an opportunity to play in the

field and shot 78 in the final round of stroke play (finishing at

84-78--162) to make the 64-player cut into match play.

A second alternate entering the week, Slutzky caught a break after two

players dropped from the championship field, then played well enough

under pressure to qualify for match play, eventually won by Ellen Port of

St. Louis, Mo.

“Look, some of those (experienced) people have great swings, but they

can’t score on the golf course,” Slutzky said. “I can’t swing great, but

I’m committed to each shot. I’m getting better. (The game) definitely

bites me in the you-know-what.”

Slutzky, who has only been a member at Big Canyon for a year, joined

the club with her husband, Alan. When members of her husband’s family

would visit from Chicago, they would always play golf and, at the time,

she would sit at home. Finally, Alan convinced her to take up the game.

They live in San Juan Capistrano, but Alan Slutzky’s parents have been

members at Big Canyon for several years.

“It was just logical to join Big Canyon,” Olivia Slutzky said. “When

we have kids, they can hang out with (their grandparents). We didn’t look

at too many other clubs. We just joined Big Canyon.”

Slutzky, a stay-at-home wife, enjoys riding horses and practicing

“homemaking things” when she’s not playing golf.

“I gave up the work thing,” she said. “I leave that with Alan.”