Houtsma, Hodgkins will meet for CGA Women’s Match Play title in battle of former and current CU golfers; Franklin, Eaton will square off for Senior Match Play crown
By Gary Baines – 7/15/2020
A current University of Colorado golfer will square off with a former Buff for the title in the 105th CGA Women’s Match Play at Saddleback Golf Cub in Firestone.
Qualifying medalist Kirsty Hodgkins, an Australian who will be a fifth-year senior at CU, will meet 40-year-old former CU golfer Erin Houtsma on Thursday in a scheduled 36-hole final after each scored semifinal wins on Wednesday.
Hodgkins, who will be in the field for the U.S. Women’s Amateur early next month, defeated 2020 Colorado Junior PGA girls champion Ashley Kozlowski of Littleton 3 and 1 in one semi. And Houtsma, a former Colorado Women’s Open champion who won the inaugural CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play last month, beat 2019 Match Play runner-up Erin Sargent of Twin Peaks Golf Course 4 and 3 in the other semifinal.
Kozlowski won the second hole with a birdie to go 1 up, but Hodgkins pulled ahead and ended up 4 under par for 14 holes. Houtsma never trailed in her semifinal, though Sargent cut the deficit to 1 down after nine holes. Houtsma responded by winning three of the first four holes on the back nine. She finished 3 under par for 15 holes.
Meanwhile, in the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play, being held concurrently at Saddleback, defending champion Kristine Franklin of The Ranch Country Club advanced to the scheduled 18-hole final along with four-time winner Kim Eaton, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who resides in Arizona.
The two are no strangers to meeting in statewide tournaments, having finished 1-2 in the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play each of the past two years, with Franklin winning on both occasions.
Both competitors will have plenty on the line on Thursday as Franklin will try to extend her winning streak in CGA women’s senior majors to four, while Eaton will attempt to set the outright record for CGA women’s/CWGA championship titles with 26. Eaton currently shares the record at 25 with Carol Flenniken.
In Wednesday’s semifinals, Franklin defeated Marilyn Hardy of Dos Rios Golf Club 2 and 1, while Eaton beat Kathy Malpass of Hiwan Golf Club 6 and 4.
Hardy was 1 up on Franklin after 10 holes, and they were tied after 14 holes, but Franklin took control by winning holes 15 and 16. Meanwhile, Eaton never trailed in her semifinal, losing just one hole in the process.
For results and the match-play trees for all the flights at Saddleback — championship, senior, and first through fifth — CLICK HERE.