MR. GOLF: Susan West and her impressive path in her golfing career

In March I wrote a column about Tuscaloosa’s Susan West being the first player to apply to play in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, which will be held at historic Chicago Golf Club, in Wheaton, Ill., July 12-15. Her entry was officially received just minutes after entries began to be accepted.

Last week she achieved her goal of qualifying for the championship. She traveled to Bent Creek Golf Club in Eden Prairie, Minn., for a sectional qualifier. She shot 75 and found herself in a playoff with professional Karen Davies for the second and final spot. Three steady pars was enough for West to move on.

“Three years ago, the USGA announced this championship was finally coming to fruition and I wrote down my ultimate goal of qualifying for it. It’s been on my compass to work so hard for for the last few years," she said.

She went to Minnesota for the qualifier as those closer to home were all held the week before, when she was busy being tournament chairman, and playing in, the Women’s Southern Amateur at her home course of NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa.

Not only did she play in the Mid-Amateur Championship, she won it. After one round of qualifying, she had to survive five matches spread over four days and prevailed in the final over fellow Alabamian Linda Jeffrey.

Fifteen-year-old Calynne Rosholt of Austin, Texas, won the regular division. She opened with an outstanding 66 in stroke play qualifying and never looked back, winning the final match against Sophie Burks of Montgomery, who will be a sophomore on the golf team at Middle Tennessee State.

“I took the confidence from the Women’s Southern right into the (Women’s Open) qualifier and it all came together,” West said.

She also expressed her joy that NorthRiver hosted the WSGA.

“NorthRiver as a community and a club really stepped up to the plate and got behind the championship. We had a lot of volunteers and the course has never looked better. It was a spectacular week.”

West will travel to Chicago on July 8 and her husband, Tom, will be at her side as he always is as her caddie.

“Tom is with me every step of the way, and I couldn’t do it without him," she said.

The list of exempt players who have entered reads like a Who’s Who of women’s golf from yesteryear: Kristi Albers, Amy Alcott, Helen Alfredsson, Danielle Ammaccapane, Janet Anderson, Donna Andrews, Tina Barrett, Jean Bartholomew, Laura Baugh, Jane Blalock, Nanci Bowen, Pat Bradley, Jerilyn Britz, Macarena Campomanes, Kay Cockerill, Jane Crafter, Laura Davies, Alicia Dibos, Judy Dickinson, Cindy Figg-Currier, Joanne Foreman, Jane Geddes, Tammie Green-Parker, Lisa Grimes, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Mary Jane Hiestand, Carolyn Hill, Juli Inkster, Becky Iverson, Christa Johnson, Patricia Johnson, Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Rosie Jones, Lorie Kane, Betsy King, Hiromi Kobayashi, Judith Kyrinis, Jenny Lidback, Murle Lindstrom Breer, Sally Little, Marilyn Lovander, Lauri Merten, Alice Miller, Barbara Moxness, Barb Mucha, Martha Nause, Liselotte Neumann, Alison Nicholas, Sandra Palmer, Ellen Port, Cindy Rarick, Michele Redman, Laurie Rinker, Terrill Samuel, Nancy Scranton, Patty Sheehan, Val Skinner, Hollis Stacy, Jan Stephenson, Kris Tschetter and Sue Wooster.

Rinker is the sister of Lee Rinker, who played golf for the University of Alabama.

Susan West has won the Alabama Women’s State Senior three years in a row and has had many top finishes and wins across the state and country. And her golf seems to just keep getting better.

She is the retired president of the Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission, and was previously assistant dean and director of the MBA program at the University of Alabama. She was a member of the Crimson Tide’s tennis program as an undergraduate, not taking golf up until her 40s. A nationally ranked tennis player, West won the 1993 USTA National Clay Court Doubles Championship.

Ian Thompson has been writing about golf in Alabama for over 25 years. His weekly “Mr. Golf” column concentrates on golfers, golf events and people associated with the sport of interest to the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas. Reach him with story ideas at thompsonteesoff@gmail.com