Scarberry fends off Dobson, Dierinzo to win WOGA Stroke Play title
By Ken MacLeod
A whiff of tension may have been in the air as former University of Tulsa teammates ShaeBug Scarberry and Taylor Dobson battled down the stretch of the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship Tuesday at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville.
Dobson, of Broken Arrow, will be a junior on the TU squad this fall. Scarberry left the team last month after her freshman season and transferred to Troy, coached by former TU coach Randy Keck (2007-14). Watching the final pairing to support Dobson was current TU coach Annie Young.
The two were tied through seven holes, but a double bogey by Dobson on eight combined with a Scarberry birdie on 11 gave the Purcell native enough of a cushion to hold on. Both players closed with rounds of 75 on the challenging course, as did the third member of the threesome Michaela Dierinzo, of Owasso. As Michaela Cavener, she was also a successful TU golfer, concluding her career in 2008.
Scarberry finished at 7-over 151 (76-75) while Dobson was second at 153 (78-75). Dierinzo was a shot back in third at 154 (79-75).
“I didn’t hit it that great but I was able to get up and down a lot for pars,” said Scarberry, who said she has been working hard on her short game. “It’s a tough course with fast greens and that shows my putting has been coming along.”
Scarberry birdied the sixth hole after a nice 6-iron approach to 3 feet and rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on the 11th. She said she was excited about continuing her career at Troy and playing for Keck.
“I think he’s a good coach and will really be able to help me with my short game,” she said. “It’s going to be a good fit for me.”
After the double on eight, Dobson played solid down the stretch but could not make enough birdie putts to catch Scarberry. She said it would have been nice to overtake her former teammate.
“We’re still friends, but we were better friends (as teammates)” Dobson said. “We both played pretty well in tough conditions.”
Also playing well was Dierinzo, who took time off from her job at Conoco Phillips in Bartlesville to compete in what were only her fifth and sixth rounds played since last September. She and husband Will, who works at The Patriot in Owasso, have two sons ages 1 and 3.5 and that precludes a lot of golf.
However Dierinzo, who grew up playing on the tree-lined fairways of another Perry Maxwell design at Ponca City Country Club, said she loves Hillcrest.
“I hit it pretty well but was a little rusty around the greens in that first round,” she said. “It was pretty challenging conditions with the wind and the greens, but I really like this course, it reminds me a lot of Ponca City CC.”
Hillcrest Country Club
Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association
2019 Stroke Play Championship
Final Results
OVERALL CHAMPION (Gross)
ShaeBug Scarberry 76 – 75 151
Mid – Amateur Champion (Gross)
Michaela Dierinzo 79 – 75 154
Championship Flight (Gross):
2nd Taylor Dobson 78 – 75 153
3rd Faith Hopkins 84 – 74 158
4th Faith Belmear 82 – 77 159
5th LeeAnn Fairlie 81 – 80 159
6th Rachel Eckert 85 – 78 163
7th Emma Shelley 84 – 80 164
8th Adeline Norton 84 – 81 165
“A” Flight:
(Gross) 1st Tammy Fairchild 86 – 85 171
(Net) 1st Darian Kedy 77 – 76 153
2nd Pam Bonifield 75 – 82 157
“B” Flight:
(Gross) 1st Laurie Campbell 85 – 92 177
(Net) 1st Diane Doornbos 76 – 78 154
2nd Carolyn Martin 80 – 75 155
“C” Flight:
(Gross) 1st Loren Ogburn 83 – 88 171
(Net) 1st Fran Derrick 69 – 84 153
2nd Diane Schmidt 79 – 76 155
“D” Flight:
(Gross) 1st Adrene Linehan 113 – 111 224
(Net) 1st Chris Massey 80 – 76 156
2nd Kay Graves 84 – 89 173