By Marcia Whiting, Events Director

Beautiful day for golf as we move into the closing stretch of the final 2026 series.  As usual, Timber Creek turned out to be a test.  I am willing to bet – no foursome had more fun than mine!  Making good shots, and bad, with friends in a smiling environment.  It was a round of entertainment.

Format for the day – Stableford scoring with a random partner assigned by Golf Genius.  The lucky (or good?) winners:

Top 4 – earning 3 points on the leaderboard

45       Kas Khachadourian and Andi Saxe

44       Kris Corbridge and Laurie Hochmuth

44       Doreen Freund and Joanie Lew

44       Marian Kubiak and Kristine Burke

Middle 4 teams – earning 2 points on the leaderboard

40       Jen Gregory and blind draw

40       Lori Lucius and Lenore Timko

40       Sonya Bradley and Stephanie Clendenin

39       Vicki Philpott and Marcia Whiting

Shoutout to our infrequent, but good golfer – Kas Khaachadourian – the only player to net below par with a 71 including 7 net birdies.  I feel like I inspired her!

Forgot your birdie juice cup?  No worries.  Marian demonstrates a resourceful dual purpose for your sandwich bag.  Who knew??

Lori makes sure she is still on top of leaderboard.  She will be banned from scoring table next time....

Baby Jesus was out in full force .  Shown here with foil shield to help while sunning at the tee.

By Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

We played Mather this weekend.  Format – drop your 3 worst holes.  I needed to drop a few more than 3. 

I heard rumours regarding some issues with the greens…so I reached out to the course for an update.  I received the following response:

"...The fairways, tee boxes and bunkers are in really good shape. We did have a disease on our greens; most damage has gone away. At worst you may see a spot or two of sand on the greens of a spot that is recovering. I don’t think you will have any issues!..."

So….I guess we are lucky we played after “most damage has gone away”….A few of those greens were a patchwork quilt.  Disappointing.  But our ladies took it in stride and posted some great scores! 

The leaderboard has been updated – Lori Lucius retains her lead in Flight A.  In Flight B, Kris Corbridge leads the way with 3 players tied for second – Jan Richmond, Shin Park, and Ramona Marshall.  Two weeks left and don’t forget, the lowest score is dropped.  Plenty of golf left!

If you can see past this group of yahoos, there is a pretty impressive air show in the background.  (That is good work in the selfie picture taking!)

Slightly less dramatic part of the air show....they must have been watching us golf!

If anyone missed the airshow, a few people may have some pictures to share.....

by Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

We had a special outing on Sunday at Rancho Murieta Country Club.  Lots of golfing friends came out to give this course a test.  As warned, the course is a challenge.  My recollection...every green was two clubs uphill.  Did we every hit downhill?  The course is different from most of the local courses we play -- it was a fun experience.

Special thanks to the staff at Rancho Murieta who prepared in advance to make sure we were welcomed and received hospitality making us feel like Country Club members for the day.  Extra special thanks to our members Melody Hayes and Tona Rose (also members at RMCC) who greeted as at the 1st tee, 18th green, and 19th hole!   They covered all the details to make this event fun. 

Event pictures:

Susan Harvey, Linda Durborough, Ramona Marshall, LaRhonda Sayles-Willis

Kris Corbridge - chipping UPHILL!

Jeri Paik, Shelleyanne Chang, Patricia Kofmehl, Karen Graser

Theresa Garcia, Marian Kubiak, Jen Gregory, Andi Saxe

Stacey Baradit

Esther Garcia, Vicki Philpott, Marcia Whiting, Doreen Freund

Tracy Callahan - chips UPHILL

Carrie Yoshida, Betty Galvez, Marina Armbruster, Rosie Ho

Susan Esposito, Lisa Obaseki, Linda Ollie-Anderson, Melody Hayes (our co-host)

Esther Garcia

Erica Williams, Robyn Morrell, Annette Wegesend

Ever fashionable LaRhonda Sayles-Willis - right down to the socks!

Rona Peters, Jody Wells, Lori Lucius, Kris Corbridge

Annette Wegesend - lines up that putt!

Stacey Baradit and Tracy Callahan

By Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

Lincoln Hills – it was hot.  It was our final match play format for the chapter.  Enough said.  LNS scoring – 3 points for match winners, 1.5 for match losers, guaranteed 2 for every player scoring in net 70’s.  And an additional .1 for every net birdie.  

For a complete review of the scoreboard, use the GGID:  SVL4LR

Lori Lucius appears to be dominating Flight A…but it is not too late to catch up!  And Kris Corbridge has a narrow .6 lead over Jan Richmond in Flight B. 

By Margie Longo, Event Lead

Format of the day was Cha Cha Cha. First hole best net ball, second hole two best net balls, third hole three best net balls, rinse repeat.   What made it even more suspenseful were the 5 blind draws for four of the teams after the round was over!     

It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 70s and low 80s.  Wildhawk Golf Club was nice and green with plenty of good lies.  The famous lake holes 16 and 18 had the group feeling like they got their money's worth as far as increasing heart rates!  The 19th hole at the clubhouse provided a chance to cool down and reflect on how the teams played and life in general!     

Low Gross: Marcia Whiting 76

Low Net: Shin Park 64

Net Birdies winner: Shin Park 8

LNS Series Points

3 Points each:    

-14    Marcia Whiting + Ramona Marshall + Marina Armbruster + BD

-14    Nanci Smith + Paula Plesha + Jennifer Gregory + Shin Park

2 points each:

-9    Margie Longo + Laurie Hochmuth + Susan Esposito + BD

-7    Lori Lucius + Kristine Corbridge + Jan Richmond + Stephanie Clendenin

1 point each:

-6    Tyra Jarvis + Jody West + 2 BD

-3    Chao Chen + Doreen Freund + Jerilyn Paik + BD

Photos from the event:

Tyra Jarvis welcomes our "newest" member - Analyn Lascano.  She's got game!  Wait until she gets her handicap.

Laurie Hochmuth makes full use of ALL the cupholders!  

 Laurie Hochmuth, Margie Longo, Susan Esposito

Jeri Paik and Doreen Freund

Jody West, Analyn Lascano, Tyra Jarvis

Jeri Paik, Chao Chen, Doreen Freund

Marcia Whiting, Ramona Marshall, Marina Armbruster (Big Winners!!)

 By Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

Seems like it has been a minute but the LPGA Amateurs Sacramento Chapter was back on the course this weekend.  We wrapped up the second event in the Lake Natomas Series at Empire Ranch in Folsom.

Format for the day was Fourball – stroke play.  Everyone had a partner to rely on with the hope one of the pair might have a good net score on each hole!  And, if you weren’t in the top tier this week, remember one low score is dropped in the final standings.  It’s not too late to move up the leaderboard. 

Our winners Sunday (for complete round scoring use GGID:  UGTSPV)

-12    Karen Graser and Doreen Freund

-12    Lori Lucius and Stephanie Clendenin

-11    Chao Chen and Ramona Marshall

-9      Rona Peters and Jan Richmond

-6      Nanci Smith and Kris Corbridge

-6      Jen Gregory and Kas Khachadourian

And don’t forget, individual scores can always improve your leaderboard total.  Net of 72 or below = 3 points, Net 73-79 = 2 points.  And net birdies add up!  Our current leaders, Karen Graser, Flight A, and Ramona Marshall, Flight B.

Congratulations to our low gross score of the day – Vicki Philpott with 79!  

Post round bragging in the bar! 

And....Karen Graser finds her ball....in the cart of the group ahead!  Quite a shot!  Now play it!

By Karen Graser President

I am pleased to announce Lenore Timko is our new Golf Events Director for the two-year term beginning November 1, 2026. 

Lenore joined our chapter in 2019 and has participated in chapter events over the last 7 years. She is eager to engage and get more involved with the chapter and bring her special skills to the board.  She has held leadership roles in professional organizations in the Agricultural Technology space as well as the recreational space as an Ambassador for the Sacramento Running Association. She is currently a Pebble Beach Hole Captain for the AT&T Pro-Am.

In her own words: I look forward to supporting the new direction the Board has set for events in 2027. As the event leads are announced, I look forward to fostering their input, collaborating and offering my support to ensure events are successful all while promoting a favorable experience for all members.

By Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

The 2026 State Fair Women’s Champions come from our very own LPGA Amateurs chapter.   As usual, it was a great competition.  We had several members participating in this 2 day event at Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course. 

The State Fair Senior Champion title went to Karen Garcia.  She shot an amazing two rounds under par – 66 and 70!  Final total 136 ( -6).  Wow.  Karen never stops amazing us with her great golf game.

In the Net Division, Tyra Jarvis came out on fire day one with a tournament best net 64.  She cooled off slightly in the final round shooting a net 67 which was enough to hold off all competitors and take the title with a final net 131 (-11).  Chapter member Rona Peters made it interesting with rounds of -69 and -67 for a two day total of net 136 (-6) and finished 2^nd place overall. 

Karen Garcia - State Fair Senior Champion

Tyra Jarvis - State Fair Net Champion

And our additional award winners, shown below.....accepting their prize!!

Rona Peters

Kris Corbridge

Rosie Ho

The Chapter recently named a Handicap Committee for 2026 made up of Kris Corbridge, Vicki Philpott and Ramona Marshall.  You can find information about handicaps on the Education page of the Website but you might want to read..."Posting Your Scores" first.

Sacramento Chapter member Ramona Marshall has been on a roll this summer and she may have a few more wins to go before she is finished with 2026.  

So far...at the 91st Sacramento City Amateur Women's Golf Championship on June 27-28 at Bing Maloney Golf Course, Ramona places 1st in the Handicap Division.

And...at the 85th Sacramento City Mixed Team Championship at Bing Maloney Golf Course on August 2nd, Ramona and her playing partner Lawrence Menard win the trophy!

Member Focused Learning

This is the second member focus article from the 2026 LPGA Amateurs Sacramento Education Committee.   May we each take a nugget of information that helps our game, our joy and our relationships this year.  See previous MFL articles on the chapter site education page.

From 156 to Champion: The Remarkable Golf Journey of Vicki Philpott

By Jerilyn Paik

July 29, 2026

When Vicki Philpott teed it up in the 2026 NCGA Super Senior Championship, she wasn't thinking about trophies or titles. She was simply focused on the next shot. 

That mindset paid off. Vicki captured the championship and added another remarkable chapter to a golf journey that began decades ago with a set of clubs, a few coworkers, and what she calls "love at first play." 

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Vicki over brunch to talk about golf, leadership, friendship, and the lessons she's learned along the way.   Read More...

By Marcia Whiting, Golf Events Director

Despite the heat, we had some great scores turned in Saturday at Lincoln Hills.  And, a couple of changes at the top of the Sacramento River Series (SRS) leaderboard.

Our format for the day – Fixed Score – 1 point for every net par.  Golf Genius assigned random partners – both partners ball scored on every hole.  Therefore, the maximum possible was 36 points.  Our big winner of the day – Marian Kubiak who scored 15 points on her own ball!  With a blind draw partner, her total was 25.  Wow!

Our tough teams, earning 3 points each:

25  Marian Kubiak and blind draw

24  Pam Katros and Vicki Philpott (who needs POPS to get net par??)

24  Chao Chen and blind draw

23  Paula Plesha and Marcia Whiting

23  Tyra Jarvis and LaRhonda Sayles-Willis

   Team earning 2 points each:

21  Jen Gregory and Jan Richmond

20  Sunny Shimabukuro and Shin Park

19  Ramona Marshall and Andi Saxe

18  Sonya Bradley and Icen Waterman

Congrats to our low gross of the day, Vicki Philpott with a 79.  And, low net was a 3 way tie at 72 by Marian Kubiak, Paula Plesha, and Vicki.  Close behind was Jan Richmond with a net 73 and Tyra Jarvis net 74. 

It was much cooler gathering in the restaurant after --

 Marian Kubiak, Doreen Freund, and Pam Katros.  (Why does Pam look at me like I'm crazy??)

Andi Saxe and Paula Plesha 

Ramona Marshall and Tyra Jarvis

Chao Chen, Jen Gregory, Icen Waterman, Jan Richmond

Sonya Bradley, Jeri Paik, Ramona Marshall

The LPGA Amateurs TEAM Championship is almost here.  This is an annual event presented by our National staff.  This year, the location is here on the west coast at Paradise Valley Golf Course in Fairfield.  Teams from across the nation are competing in this event.  But no chapter is represented better than Sacramento with 8 teams!  The event is June 12 and 13.  You can follow our teams by using the GGID:  26TEAMCHAMP

Cheering for the following teams:

Birdie Birches            Ramona Marshall and Jeri Paik

Hack Attack                Cheryl Vivas and Jan Richmond

Double Trouble         Yolanda Day and Tyra Jarvis

Two Positrons            Kris Corbridge and Nanci Smith

Par-Tee Partners       Kristine Burke and Paula Plesha

Hot Flashes                Andi Saxe and Marian Kubiak

Oldies but Goodies   Vicki Philpott and Esther Garcia

Beam Team                Marcia Whiting and Lori Lucius

Two Haggin Oaks clubs joined up for a fun round of Cha, Cha, Cha on June 10.  The teams were mixed and matched so every foursome had a chance to win valuable prizes.  In the end, the top three winning teams were:

-12     Marian Kubiak, Jen Gregory, Karen Keely, and Judi Ferreira

-10     Sonya Bradley, Paula Plesha, Janet Georgie, and Cindi McCormack

-10     Elaine Fat, Krista Whitman, Liz Eastman and blind draw

Losing in a scorecard playoff….

-10      Lori Lucius, Holly Chang, Karen Moreno and blind draw 

Please join us in welcoming our newest LPGA Amateurs Sacramento Chapter members!

We are excited to have each of you in our golf community and look forward to seeing you at upcoming events, league play, clinics, and social gatherings.

To our current members, please make our new members feel welcome.  A friendly hello can go a long way in building the connections that make our chapter so special. 

Welcome!

Roxanne Friedrich

Susan Collins

Roni Bowling

Tona Rose

Teri Vago-bejma

Patricia Thomas

Lisa Obaseki

Dana Carrigan

Wanda Sanders

Linda Ollie Anderson

Penelope Crumpley

Jenni Albee

Patricia Martin

Mary Lucca

Together we're building a community where every member feels welcomed, connected and inspired to enjoy the game of golf. 

Monique Cox 

Membership Chair

By:  Marcia Whiting, Events Director

And the second Lucky 7 series – the Sacramento River Series (SRS) – is off and running.  Jumping to an early 0.1 lead in Flight B is Tina Tran.  She is closely followed by Karen Zamarripa, Carrie Yoshida and many others.  In Flight A, the first round resulted in a tie at the top between Kristine Burke and our President, Karen Graser.   But everyone is still in close pursuit.  If you missed round one at Wildhawk, remember we will be dropping the lowest score in the final standings.  It is never too late to come out and play –especially if you want to play “just for fun”.  We love fun golfers.

At Wildhawk, we played Lone Ranger format.  One golfer was designated to score on specific holes, along with the best net of the remaining three.  It was a close, and fun, event.  (If you would like to review the entire leaderboard, it is available in Golf Genius using the GGID:  ML58YW)

Also, it seems Wildhawk was recently re-rated by USGA – the slope changed from 110 to 113.  With this update, the final scores changed slightly.  We had some great golfers playing lead by Kristine Burke with a net 68! Wow! Others shooting net 72 or better included:  Karen Graser, Andi Saxe, Lori Lucius, and Karen Zamarripa.  Leading the net birdies category, with seven each:  Karen Graser, Susan Collins, and Kristine Burke. 

Our team results:

Three teams with the lowest score – earning 3 points each:

135     Kristine Burke, Lori Lucius, Marian Kubiak, Carrie Yoshida

136     Chao Chen, Andi Saxe, Marcia Whiting, Karen Zamarripa

136     Karen Graser, Margie Longo, Tina Tran, Rona Peters

Two teams earning 2 points each:

138     Sunny Shimabukuro, Vicki Philpott, Sonya Bradley, LaRhonda Sayles-Willis

139     Rita Langolias, Jody West, Paula Plesha, Susan Collins

 Check out the new Sacramento Series Leaderboard under Quick Links!

Marcia Whiting and Andi Saxe celebrating twin birdies on Par 3, #4 at Wildhawk.  (I'm the twin on the left)

Our "ladies in pink" rolled up to the first tee....photo bombed by the "ladies in blue"!

Whew....for me personally...it was a brutal day at The Ridge to wrap up the Arcade Creek Series (ACS).  The weather was pleasant, the company was pleasant...but the golf was...ugh.  I'm humbled!  Lucky for me we only take on The Ridge once per year!  Thanks to everyone who came out for the challenge. 

This was our final ACS event...blind draw for partners in Fourball scoring.  The teams which excelled with a final round of 3+ points:

65  Nanci Smith and Sonya Bradley  (How did that combo come out in first place??)

66  Pam Katros and Jeri Paik (That makes sense.)

69  Susan Collins and LaFronda Sayles-Willis (name change made by The Ridge cart)

70  Theresa Garcia and Chao Chen (Theresa wins 2 weeks running???)

71 Tie  Marian Kubiak and Marcia Whiting  (Thank you Marian!!) tied with Lynda Lapp and her blind draw

The leaderboard has been updated.  We ended with a tie in Flight A - so we paid 11 places in both flights!  The next 7 series starts at Wildhawk next week.  Let's get it on!

The NCGA Senior/Super Senior tournament was scheduled for play on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The rain did not cooperate on Tuesday.  Play was cancelled and players were left to hike the foothills, play cards, investigate Angels Camp, wine tasting in Murphy’s, or just relax!  With the tournament reduced to one day, players had to bring their "A" game on Wednesday.  Our chapter was well represented with more than 10 competitors in the field. 

Vicki Philpott proved that one day was all she needed.  She blew away the competition.  Vicki shot a gross 74 at Copper Valley.  The tournament used stableford scoring.  Vicki was at the top of the leaderboard for both gross, with 34 points, and net with 40 points.  The closest competitor in gross play was 9 points behind her!  I’m guessing she had all phases of her game clicking to put up those numbers!  

Other chapter members who played some great golf during the tournament include: 

Kris Corbridge, Super Senior 3^rd place overall net and first Flight D  (35 points)

Esther Garcia, Super Senior, 1^st place in Flight C (33 points)

Lori Lucius, Senior, 2^nd place in Flight B (35 points)

Sunny Shimabukuro, Senior, 4^th place in Flight D (31 points)

Congratulations to everyone who competed.  We were well represented!