Ivy Steinberg comes from behind to win Ontario Senior Women's Championship

BATH, ON (July 31, 2008) Ivy Steinberg of Cedar Valley overcame a three shot deficit in the final round to claim the title at the Investors Group Ontario Senior Women’s Championship at Loyalist Country Club.

The Granite Golf Club member battled back after losing her first round lead to jump to the top of the leaderboard and claim her first senior women’s title. At the tender age of 51 there is no doubt that Steinberg will be a strong favorite for years to come.

After starting the day in second place behind Jeanne Beaith of Port Hope Steinberg chipped and finally pulled even with Beaith on the eleventh hole. The two players swapped the lead a couple time on the back nine before finally pulling even heading into the eighteenth hole.

After going shot for shot with each other for the first two shots on eighteen, Steinberg hit her third onto the green about forty feet from the pin leaving the pressure on Beaith. Unfortunately, Beaith found the water with her third and despite hitting an excellent shot after her drop left her opponent with the cushion three putts for the win.

Steinberg was up for the challenge as she made her third putt on eighteen for a double bogey and the win. She finished five over for the day and with a three day total of 229 to claim the first individual championship of her career. Growing up in Quebec and her career in Ontario Steinberg has won a number of team championships but none on her own.

“Staying smooth was the key,” noted Steinberg. “This was the first time I wasn’t thinking about my final result but just taking it one shot at a time”.

Beaith ended up alone in second place with a three day total of 230. Sue Postian of London ended up in third place after finishing five strokes back of Steinberg and eighteen over for the Championship (234). Cheryll Damphouse of Amherstburg rounded out the top four after finishing a stroke behind Postian and six off the lead (235).

More importantly, with her round today, Damphouse secured her spot on the Interprovincial Team that will be travelling to St John’s, Newfoundland for the Royale Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in August. She will join Steinberg, Beaith and Postian to represent Ontario and hopefully bring home the Team title.

In the 60 and over division Gloria Sinclair of Georgetown claimed the top spot after a three day total of 241. Local resident Bonnie King of Bath claim the top honour in the 70 and over division.

Players were also competing for a spot on the Ada MacKenzie Team, which will travel to Rochester next spring to compete in the 50th Anniversary of the matches between Ontario and New York State. The team was announced at the completion of player with the top ten finishers making the squad. Steinberg, Beaith, Postian, Damphouse and Sinclair will be joined by Debbie Mcdonald of Claremont, Ginny Marshall of Waterloo, Susan Wickware of Toronto, Kathy Keely of Ottawa and Nanette Cuddy of Mississauga.