Comeback Queen: Sarah Stanhope Wins US Women's Disc Golf Championship
Date Published
In a stunning turn of events, Sarah Stanhope rose from third place to claim the top spot at the 2009 US Women's Disc Golf Championship in the Quad Cities (IA/IL). The competition was fierce, with current World Champion Valarie Jenkins leading the pack until the final round. Stanhope's impressive performance saw her overcome a three-stroke deficit on the first four holes and eventually take the lead.
The West Lake course proved to be a challenging opponent for all players, but Stanhope rose to the occasion with an unofficial rating of 1021 on her final round of 61. This achievement would put her in second place among women on courses in that SSA range, a remarkable feat considering she had previously recorded a top-10 round at the Vibram Open just weeks prior.
Liz Carr held the initial lead going into the final round, but struggled to maintain momentum as Jenkins closed in. Stanhope began to gain ground with a birdie 4 on the fourth hole and continued to push forward with pars that eventually put her ahead of both Carr and Jenkins.
The turning point came when Valarie Jenkins suffered a double bogey 7 on the long par 5 13th hole, allowing Stanhope to take advantage and move into first place. The crowd watched in awe as Stanhope birdied three consecutive holes and secured her position at the top with a final par on the 18th hole.
Carr's early struggles ultimately proved too costly, as she was unable to catch up to Jenkins for second place. The new national champions were crowned, including Barrett White (Master Pro), Lisa Warner (Grandmaster Pro), Leslie Charles (Sr Grandmaster Pro), Alexandria Mero (Advanced Am), Marie Fry (Advanced Master Am), Christine Savvakis (Intermediate Am), and Carrie Ricketts (Recreational Am).
As the tournament comes to a close, the excitement builds for next year's event in Jacksonville, NC. The 2009 US Women's Disc Golf Championship will be remembered as an unforgettable display of skill and determination from all participants.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2009-us-womens-championship