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E-mail StoryA shot at history for Luckett
Kern County Women's Amateur defending champ expects lower scores for next week's event
| Monday, May 5 2008 10:27 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 6 2008 8:05 AM
Stevie Luckett didn’t expect to win last year’s Kern County Women’s Amateur Championship, but after shooting a first round 78 at Mifflin-Buena Vista, she found herself leading the tournament and in an unfamiliar position.
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Family: Terry (husband), Dustin (son)
Profession: Retired!
Sport: Golf
Index: 10
Home course: Kern Valley GC in Kernville
Career-low round: 72 at Kern Valley GC
Holes-in-one: Three, two at Sunset Hills GC in Thousand Oaks
Favorite course played: Royal Kapalua in Hawaii
Noteable: 2007 Kern County Women’s Amateur Champion and multiple Kern Valley Golf Course Women’s Club Champion
Photos:
Stevie Luckett plays a round of golf at the Kern Valley Golf Course in Kernville. Luckett is the defending champion for next week’s Kern County Women's Amateur and will attempt to become the 12th back-to-back winner in the event’s 72-year history
Stevie Luckett lines up a putt at Kern Valley Golf Course.
But after settling her nerves to open the final round at Stockdale Country Club, the multiple Kern Valley Golf Course Women’s Club Champion managed to “hold it together enough” to come away with her first KC Women’s title and her biggest win ever.
Luckett will attempt to become the 12th back-to-back winner, and first since Jeanette Cleveland had a three-peat from 1999-2001, in the 72nd edition of the long standing event next Tuesday and Wednesday at Foss-Kern River and Sundale Country Club.
Luckett shot a 163 total last year, seven better than the runner-up, 2006 champion Cyndi Walla, but she figures that the winning score will be lower this year.
Last year, you won the Women’s Kern County Amateur by seven shots, did you expect to not only contend, but win going into the tournament?
“Heavens no! It was very much unexpected. I usually just go into it just wanting to play as well as I can, but when I finished with my 78 last year and I was told I was leading, it was quite a shock!”
You had a six-stroke lead after that first round, how did you handle the pressure on the final day?
“Not very well. I was very nervous and I think I gave away five shots the first three holes, but I was able to hold it together on the back nine and luckily no one was really making a move during the last few holes or I would have really been nervous.”
How many times have you competed in the KC Women’s Amateur and what had been your best previous finish?
“I think I have played in it eight or nine times. My previous best finish was third in 2005 and I won the first flight low net that year too. I think I have been in the top 10 on two other occasions.”
Your home track is the Kern Valley Golf Course in Kernville, have you ever won a club championship there?
“I think I’ve won it eight or nine times, I really can’t remember, but I do know that I won it every year from 1996 through 2001.”
That’s a pretty good record, how long have you been playing golf? “I started 22 years ago.”
What’s your career-low round and where did you shoot it?
“I shot a 72 at Kern Valley, that’s two trips around our nine hole course.”
How often do you play now?
“I usually play four to five times a week.”
You live in Wofford Heights, so do you usually play most of your golf at Kern Valley?
“Yeah, I play most of the time up here, but I like to play in Bakersfield, too. And I go to the Bishop Invitational every year and we like to try and play occasionally when we go out of town.”
Being the defending champion, what are your expectations for next week?
“Well, I’d like to tell you that I was going to win, but I know that it will take a tremendous effort to win this year and I will have to play my best to have a chance again. I think the scores will be lower because (Buena Vista) and Stockdale were so tough last year.”
How do Foss-Kern River and Sundale suit your game and do you play one better than the other?
“I probably feel a little more comfortable at Kern River only because I’ve played it more and two of the par fours are pretty short. The men play them as par three’s. Sundale, on the other hand, is a little tighter, so you need to drive the ball well there.”
Do you know if some of the high school or college girls are going to play this year and, if they do, how will it effect the tournament?
“I don’t really know who is playing. I do know that if the young girls play, it will make it tougher on us old gals because we don’t have quite the game like they do. But it’s fun to compete against them.”
Do you have any other sporting interests other than golf?
“Well, we do a lot of fishing up here, especially in the river, and I like to ride the Jet Skis a bit too.”
What is the best part of your game; the shot you can count on the most?
“That would probably be my chipping around the greens. I don’t hit that many greens, so I need to chip to score well.”
And what part of your game gives you the most fits?
“Oh, that’s definitely sand play. I struggle in the bunkers around the greens. I don’t know why, I just don’t usually have a lot of confidence when I get in a bunker. I have a tendency to leave my shot in the sand.”
You won with a 163 score last year. Any predictions on what it will take to win this year?
“I know it will have to be better than 163, that’s about all I can say.”