Casie Cathrea, entering Oklahoma State University in the fall, began her competitive summer with a seminal win. Following her Wednesday 65 with a Friday 73, Cathrea claimed the first Women’s Porter Cup by three strokes over Prima Thammaraks. (Final Results Posted Here)
Tournament Director Brian Oakley and Casie Cathrea, Champion
After the Wednesday-to-Thursday deluge paired animals across western New York and brought a cancellation of Thursday’s second round, the tournament was reduced to 36 holes. Cathrea’s opening salvo of 65 shots became much more potent, taking many more players out of contention. When she went out in 34 strokes on the back nine (the nines were reversed for Friday’s play) she effectively eliminated all competition but the girls in the mirror. It became a duel with herself and she responded, taking a five-stroke lead to the final hole.
Note to all competitors: this thing called adrenaline really does exist! After out driving her playing partners (who finished 2nd a t3, respectively) Cathrea air-mailed the final green by ten yards, giving the tournament a bit of the wrong kind of excitement in its closing moments. Would we witness some sort of Vandeveldian collapse in the event’s waning moments? Fortunately for Cathrea, she minimized the damage, closed with a six and claimed the champion’s chalice.
Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.) a rising senior at Furman University, tied for the day’s best round of one-under 70, moving her into a tie for third place with Samantha Troyanovich (Grosse Pointe Shores, MI and Tulane) and Krista Puisite (Latvia and Texas State.) Other notable entrants were Meghan Stasi (t6), Emily Collins (11) and Grace Na (t13). The top local finishers were Rene Sobolewski of Buffalo (17), Catherine Peters of Clarence Center (t18) and Chelsea Dantonio of Lancaster (t29.)
