Columnist Peter Benton: South team wins women’s showdown

Peter Benton

Wednesday, May 30, 2001 | 1:12 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

After nine years of competition between the Women's Southern Nevada Golf Association and its Northern Nevada counterpart, the Southern team last week for the first time won the Silver Cup from its opponents.

The three-day State Silver Cup competition was played over the par-72 Thunder Canyon Golf Course in Washoe Valley, with 20 players on each team playing a Ryder Cup-style tournament.

During the first round, an alternate shot format, the Southern team, led by captain Julie Skinner, took a 5 1/2 to 2 1/2-point lead. However, Linda Vlautin's Northern team roared back on the second day in the better ball of partners segment, outscoring and outsmarting our girls 6 1/2 to 1 1/2.

The final day of play, which consisted of 18 singles matches, saw the Southern team win with 13 1/2 points to 4 1/2 and garner the Silver Cup with an overall score of 20 1/2 to13 1/2.

The victorious Southern team included: Sylvia Berggren, Diane Byman, Rita Byorick, Sherry Corsello, D'Anne Daniels, Eileen de Doelder, Sue De Francesco, Pam Downey, Laurie Durant, Doe Emes, Irene Frank, Sherry Jackson, Brenda Knott, Mona Leslie, Mary McFarland, Rene Raynes, Barb Roberts, Sue Roma and Patty Wright.

Caponi will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, joining Bernhard Langer in ceremonies at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. Langer gained admission via the International Ballot.

Caponi is the second LPGA player voted into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame in the veteran's category, created in February 1999. She received the requisite three-fourths of the votes cast by the LPGA Tournament Division.

"Donna has been the overwhelming choice of the Veteran's Committee and the LPGA Tour players to become the 19th member of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame," LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw said. "Donna's 24 victories, including four majors, are among the best in the tour's history and signify a Hall of Fame career. We are pleased to welcome her into one of the most respected insitiutions in the world of professional sports."

Caponi, who joined the LPGA in 1965, is one of just 13 women who made the U.S. Women's Open their first LPGA Tour victory and one of six to successfully defend an Open title. Her other two major championship victories were the 1997 and 1981 LPGA Championships. Caponi retired from active play at the end of the 1988 season and is an analyst for the Golf Channel.

Winning with a score of 10-under par 68-66--134 was the team of John Creaney and Aaron Parr, representing Las Vegas Country Club.