Knowing you need to birdie the 18th hole on The Arnold Palmer Course at PGA WEST to at least remain in contention for a win is one matter. Actually making the birdie and winning a 36-hole championship is quite another.
Securing the birdie with a 10-foot putt, PGA WEST Member Linda Olsen continued adding to her impressive list of golfing accomplishments by winning the 2009 Women's Southern California Golf Association 36-Hole Stroke Play Championship. She is the defending champion in the event.
Playing on her home property, Linda carded rounds of 74-73 (147) to edge Jenny Robinson of The Hideaway by one stroke, and completed a three-stroke, final day comeback over eventual third place finisher Kellii Rinker of The Citrus Club. The event was held on The Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer Private Courses.
A strong field of nearly 60 players from throughout Southern California participated in the two day WSCGA event hosted by your Private Golf Shop.
Linda's golf success includes a long list of accomplishments made even more remarkable by the fact that she didn't begin playing the game until she was 30 years old under the direction and tutoring of her husband Doug, her "full-time, unpaid coach and caddy." Her introduction to the sport upon arrival from Taiwan allowed her to meet a lot of people, improve her grasp of the English language and ignite her competitive instincts.
Since the day she first held a golf club, her accomplishments are outstanding and include winning the PGA WEST Ladies Club Championship 10 times (including 2008 and 2009). She was a semifinalist in the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur in 1997, California State Women's Amateur Champion in 1998, and competed on the LPGA Futures Tour for three years (1999-01) prior to regaining her amateur status. During Linda's "Futures" career, she competed against the likes of Lorena Ochoa.
We congratulate Linda on her successful championship defense and extend her best wishes for hitting many more fairways and greens in the future!
