It has been an impressive week for debutants at the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur and Senior Amateur Championships. First-timers Kathy Hartwiger from the United States and Englishman John Kennedy are leading their respective championships with just 18 holes remaining at Walton Heath Golf Club’s New Course.
At 59, Hartwiger holds a commanding four-shot lead in the women’s championship with a 3-under-par 219, following a bogey-free, 4-under-par 70 which saw her overtake Dook’s Tracy Eakin who now lies third after a 77 which leaves her on +2. English international Tracey Williamson, a member of Sheringham Golf Club, has moved into second place thanks to a 2-under 72 and a 1-over total.
Deirdre Smith has moved into the top 10 and sits solo eight at +7, while Alison Taylor holds a place in the top 20 at +13.
In the men’s championship, Kennedy leads by seven shots at 12-under 204, carding a 4-under 68. Sweden’s Tord Nilsson and American Brendan Hester are tied for second, with Hester posting the championship’s lowest round so far, an 8-under-par 64.
Jody Fanagan produced his lowest round of the week and his 3-under 69 moved him from level-par to -3 and he sits tied for sixth, with Alan Condren, David Mulholland and Steve Graham all sharing 17th at level-par.
A resident of Pinehurst, North Carolina, Hartwiger has long dreamed of playing golf in Great Britain. Her career as a school counselor and raising two children with her husband, Chris, limited her opportunities to travel. Despite this, she won the 2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Now, with her children, Ben and Erin, independent, Hartwiger and Chris are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary, making this trip a special milestone. “I’ve always wanted to come over here and play, but we had kids, and I was never able to,” Hartwiger said. “So I said this is the year because if I don’t at 59, then I might never do it.”
Hartwiger, a member of Pine Wild Golf Club, has adapted well to British golf. She prepared for this event by finishing second in the Scottish Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Eyemouth Golf Club. “Finishing second in the Scottish was a big help because it forced me to be solid,” she noted. “You have to hit the ball with a square clubface, or you’re going to get found out. I’m not used to heathland or links golf where you have to run the ball, but I’m getting better. This type of golf turns on some kind of creativity we don’t always have in the United States. It’s been fun.”
Entering the final round with no expectations, Hartwiger draws inspiration from advice her son Ben once gathered for a high school project: avoid expectations, as you can only control your own actions. “I’m going into tomorrow to just enjoy the time with my husband, the golf course, and the competition,” she said. “I’m just going to do my best and see what happens.” Should she win, Hartwiger would become the first American champion since Lara Tennant in 2019.
Similarly, Kennedy arrived at his first Senior Amateur with no expectations but has excelled. A member of Consett & District Golf Club, he won the men’s Scottish Senior Amateur at Montrose, followed by the Durham County Championship and his club championship for the 14th time. “I’m just doing what I’ve done for the last few weeks,” Kennedy explained, attributing his comfort to recent competitive play.
As a compliance manager for The AA, Kennedy is using holiday time to compete. He’s felt at ease, saying, “I haven’t really felt nervous at all this week because the last few weeks all I’ve done is play competitive golf, so I guess this just sort of feels natural.” His strategy has been to keep the ball in play, avoiding the punishing heather at Walton Heath. In his third-round 68, he used a driver only once, relying instead on a 1-iron. “The key around here is not finding the heather. So far, I’ve done that well,” he said.
If Kennedy maintains his disciplined approach in the final round, he could become the first English champion since Trevor Foster’s victory seven years ago at Royal Porthcawl.
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