Golf: Slutzky repeats at Big Canyon

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Olivia Slutzky became Big Canyon Country Club’s

first back-to-back women’s club champion in almost 10 years as she held

on for a 10-stroke victory Wednesday in the final round.

Slutzky shot 79-76-76-83--313 and earned an invitation to the sixth

annual Tea Cup Classic this summer.

The stroke-play event for the four women’s club champions in the Daily

Pilot circulation is part of the Fletcher Jones Motorcars/Daily Pilot

Club Championship Series. A date and time for Tea Cup Classic VI,

scheduled for Santa Ana Country Club, has yet to be finalized.

Martha Redfearn shot 323 over four rounds in the Big Canyon

championship flight and finished second, while 2000 Tea Cup Classic

participant Colette Taormina won low net at 303.

A former equestrian competitor, Slutzky didn’t start playing golf

until seven years ago at age 27.

Selby Schriber, the inaugural Tea Cup Classic champion in 1997, was

the last Big Canyon member to capture a first and second title in

back-to-back years (1992-93). Schriber won six titles in a row from 1992

through ’97.

Marie Gray is Big Canyon’s all-time leader with eight women’s club

titles.

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

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

Slutzky is the first player to qualify for the 2002 Tea Cup Classic.

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

crown an annual Daily Pilot women’s club champion, promote the game in

the area and bring the golf community closer together.

The final round of the Santa Ana Country Club women’s championship is

April 26, while Mesa Verde Country Club’s final round is April 30 and

Newport Beach Country Club’s May 17.

Defending Tea Cup champion Debbie Albright (Newport Beach) snapped

Marianne Towersey’s three-year Tea Cup winning streak a year ago.

Albright will attempt to win her seventh straight Newport Beach club

title.