Posey, Phillips hold first-round lead at Briarwood Invitational

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
July 8, 2004
While Pam Posey wouldn't say she and partner Leigh Phillips had a safe lead in the Briarwood Ladies 35th Invitational Tournament, their opening-round 65 Wednesday was clearly the best of the 37-team field.
Posey, this year's MWGA state amateur runner-up, and Phillips, the 2004 MWGA junior state champion, shot a 9-under par 65 to lead Jackson's Mary Duvall and Dana Tidmore by four strokes heading into today's final round of the two-lady scramble.
"There's still 18 holes to be played," Posey said. "Four strokes is not anything on this course with as many good players as we have in the tournament.
"We're happy at our score, but we don't feel that that's all that's going to happen. It's another day."
A string of four straight birdies from Nos. 7-10 allowed Posey and Phillips to pull away from the field.
Posey made several key putts throughout the round.
"She played very well today," Phillips said. "We both played pretty good. Neither of us has played much lately, so we weren't having high hopes, but we played good together."
Phillips drained a birdie putt from 20-25 feet on No. 18 to send the leaders into the clubhouse with a four-stroke advantage over the Jackson duo.
"That was the only putt I made all day," Phillips said. "I was around the hole all day, but that was the only one I made."
Phillips' long putt came just after their round opponents' Jan Lacy had chipped in for a birdie.
"That was exciting at the end," Posey said. "Nell (Bradford) didn't hit a very good chip and I had already mentioned to her that I was coming over to watch them chip it in. And Jan comes right behind her and chips it in. That was awesome.
"Then I hit a bad putt and walk over to Nell and said 'I guess that means Leigh is going to make hers' and she just drains it for a birdie.
"We were looking for another birdie on the back."
Posey and Phillips had nine birdies to go with nine pars. They birdied Nos. 1, 4, 7-10, 12, 14, and 18.
"It's so much fun playing with Leigh," Posey said. "She can just hit that ball so far. Her whole game is just so good and she's just so laid back and a joy to be around."
Duvall and Tidmore had four birdies, an eagle, and a bogey in their 69. They had birdies on Nos. 1 and 3, a bogey on No. 11, a birdie on No. 12, an eagle-3 on No. 14, and a birdie on No. 17.
Five strokes off the lead with 4-under par 70s are the teams of Peggy Benandi-Pat Ellis and Janice Preble-Mary Hays.
Also in the championship flight at even-par 74 are the teams of Mary Edwards-Julia McKey, Nell Bradford-Jan Lacy, and Stacy Laprairie-Judy McDonald.