Hines leads UCWGA Championship heading into the final round

KINGSTON, N.Y. — While the challenging conditions at Green Acres Golf Course confused most of the competitors in the second round of the Ulster County Women’s Golf Association (UCWGA) Championship, the top of the leaderboard didn't change much when the scores were posted at the end of the round on Saturday, July 26.

First-round leader Kim Hines, a science teacher from the Saugerties School District, remained in first place heading into Sunday's final round at the Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston.

Hines' 19-over-par 91 was the lowest score recorded among the dozen players in the UCWGA championship flight at Green Acres. Coupled with Friday's 13-over 83 at Woodstock Golf Club, Hines has a two-round total of 32-over 174.

Kathy Murphy of the Swan Country Club in Saugerties remained in second place with a 36-hole total of 178, following a 93 at Green Acres. She started with an 85 at Woodstock.

Saugerties resident Kathy Murphy hits from a fairway bunker on the par-4 11th hole during the second round of the Ulster County Women's Golf Association (UCWGA) Championship on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Green Acres Golf Course in Kingston, New York. Rick Remsnyder/Daily Freeman

Kristen Osterhoudt (88-92-180) from the Shawangunk Golf Course at Stoeckeler Memorial Park in Ellenville moved into third after UCWA tournament director Diane Myers (88-96-184) dropped into fourth. Myers had a tough front nine at Green Acres, shooting a 50 that included needing nine strokes to finish the challenging par-3 seventh hole.

Hines felt she was too cautious with her short game, especially trying to negotiate the fast and severely sloped greens of Green Acres.

I was tentative on putting and chipping," said Hines, who will be seeking her fourth UCWGA title and first since 2013. "That's what got me in trouble today. I should have just chipped it past the hole and putted or chipped back up to the hole instead of trying to get cute and let it roll on. Green Acres owner Brian Bonesteel has done a great job with this course, but you have to know how to play it. Sometimes, I think we gave the greens too much respect and left the putts short. But it is what it is and tomorrow's another day.

Hines said she's looking forward to playing Wiltwyck, but admitted it has gotten the best of her at times.

It's hard for me to score there," Hines said. "But I just have to go out and keep it in the fairway. The greens are always in good shape. It's going to be tough and it's going to be long. I don't know what the weather is looking like. They say rain overnight into the morning. I hope we get it in.

Murphy, who started the second round two shots behind Hines, tied the score when she parred the first three holes at Green Acres.

After turning with a 44 compared to Hines' 45, Murphy was still within one stroke of Hines until back-to-back triple bogeys on holes 11 and 12 derailed what was a promising round.

Murphy's approach shot came out of a fairway bunker on the par-4 11th hole and went straight into a hazard, resulting in a triple bogey. Then she hit her tee shot on the par-3 12th hole into a pond, leading to another triple bogey, falling six strokes behind the leader.

Murphy birdied two holes over the final six to get within four shots of Hines, giving her a realistic chance to claim her first UCWGA title in Sunday's final round at Wiltwyck.

If I can keep my drives in the fairway, I play much better at Wiltwyck," Murphy said. "If I hit it into the rough, it usually takes me an extra shot.

With the UCWGA field teeing off in a noon shotgun start on Sunday, Myers is hopeful to finish the 54-hole tournament. But if the round is called at any point after the completion of nine holes by all competitors, Myers said the tournament would be cut to 45 holes, with whoever was ahead at that point being declared the champion.

Results of the 67th Ulster County Women’s Golf Association (UCWGA) Championship after Saturday's second round at the par-72 Green Acres Golf Course in Kingston:

Championship flight

Kim Hines 83-91-174

Kathy Murphy 85-93-178

Kristen Osterhoudt 88-92-180

Diane Myers 88-96-184

Frances Murphy 91-93-184

Yvonne Merck 95-97-192

Ellen Densen 102-92-194

Diana Decker Kuster 104-94-198

Marianne Albamont 105-98-203

Hannah Murphy 97-107-204

Christine Wesserling 103-105-208

Joann Burns 115-131-246

First flight

Madison Paddock 90

Linda Depuy 104

Jaime Paddock 107

Colleen Martin 112

Marge Bennett 119

© 2025 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y. Visit www.newsrealtime . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Charlie Woods Faces an Uphill Task to Make the Cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur After a Difficult Start

After the first round of the prestigious US Junior Amateur, Charlie Woods faces an uphill battle to reach the knockout stages after scoring 11 over par with a 81 at Brook Hollow Golf Club in Texas.

The 16-year-old's legendary dad Tiger, who is recovering from Achilles surgery , was in attendance, but he witnessed his son make a slow start.

Beginning on the 10 ^th , Charlie made successive bogeys on his opening two holes, before his first par of the day came at the 484-yard par 4 12th. ^th .

However, rather than marking the start of better things to come, Woods' fortunes went the other way with a costly double bogey on his fourth hole of the day, the par 4 13. ^th .

After his first six holes, Woods was five over for his round, with his third bogey of the day coming at the 615-yard par 5, 15. ^th .

Unfortunately for Woods, that wasn't the end of his problems. Successive double bogeys followed at the par 3 16. ^th and par 4 17 ^th , before he finally found some relief with his first birdie of the tournament at the 432-yard par 4 18 ^th , his ninth hole of the day.

Even with that glimmer of hope, by that point, Woods was eight over, and his chances of making it into the top 64 and ties at the 36-hole stage to progress were already looking doubtful.

As he made the turn, Woods was languishing in T228 in the field of 264 players, 10 strokes behind the position he needed to maintain in order to continue after Tuesday's second round at Trinity Forest Golf Club.

Still, the birdie at least gave him a foothold, and with 27 holes to play, all was not lost. Sadly for Woods, another bogey came on his 10th hole of the day, with his fourth double bogey of his round on his 12th.

Finally, he then found some consistency with four consecutive pars between his 13th and 16th holes of the day, before he closed out his round with his fifth bogey of the day and his second birdie at the 18th. That leaves him at 11 over, and, as it stands, nine behind the position he needs to progress in T242.

Woods is not the only son of a current or former PGA Tour star in the field. The defending champion is Trevor Gutschewski , son of Scott, and he finished the day very well placed at three under, just two back of the lead, which is held by Kailer Stone and Qiyou Wu.

Jonathan Byrd's son Jackson is also in the field and is on even par after his first round, while Matt Kuchar's son Cameron is also playing and heads into Tuesday's action at three over.

Another notable name in the field is Tyler Watts , who Gutschewski beat a year ago. He advances to the second round at four under.

Miles Russell, who last year, aged 15, became the youngest player to make the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event and has gone on to make PGA Tour appearances, is just one shot behind the leader, tied for third at four under.

Woods qualified for the US Junior Amateur , which his father famously won three times in a row between 1991 and 1993, in June. That guaranteed his second appearance at the event after competing in 2024.

Back then, he finished the first round 12 over at Oakland Hills, and that proved too much for him to come back, eventually missing the cut after finishing 22 over for the tournament in T240.

After his struggles on day one, his prospects aren't much brighter heading into the second round of this year's tournament.

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Open Championship star heartbroken as caddie banned from entering UK

Harris English has spoken about his "disappointment" after his caddy was denied a visa to work at The Open Championship. due to a conviction for dealing drugs.

Eric Larson, who has been looping for English for the past eight years, was denied a visa by the UK Government despite exhaustive efforts by the five-time PGA Tour winner, lawyers and Open officials. Larson was unable to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority visa, with new rules granting the power to refuse entry to the UK for anyone who has spent a year or more in prison.

Larson spent 10 years and three months in prison after admitting his crimes, and he was released in 2006. He has since worked for Anthony Kim, Jeff Overton, and English. Larson and English have formed a close bond, but the former is stuck back home in the U.S. and will have to watch the action at Royal Portrush from the couch. It comes amid the devastating news that A 28-year-old golfer was killed on the course, leaving fellow players asking major questions about the circumstances. .

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English said, legal experts and golf authorities did "everything they could to help" sway the UK Government's decision, and he made it clear he does not agree with the logic behind it.

"I did everything I could to help," English said. Bunkered. He had a lot of people helping him out, and I guess it just didn't get into the right hands or the right people to see that he is not a threat to society. That he's just going to be over here caddying for me for two weeks and helping me do the best I can to try to win an Open Championship. I think it is a bit silly.

We've had a good major run. I mean, 12th in the Masters, second in the PGA, didn't play great at Oakmont [US Open], but I made the cut. It is what it is, but it sucks. He's just disappointed. I think he had a lot of optimism that he was going to be able to come over.

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English believes Larson, who caddied for Mark Calcavecchia before his conviction, has served his time and learned from his mistakes, and he should no longer be punished.

I mean, he's not really proud of what he did," English said. "He knew he was in the wrong and he knew do the crime, do the time. He knew he messed up but he's turned his life around and he's been awesome.

Whatever he can do to help me or whatever I feel like is best is what he's going to do, and he's been awesome for me. It's just disappointing trying to win an Open without him this week. "I miss having him. He has one of the best attitudes I've ever seen.

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English will have Ramon Bescansa carrying the bag in Northern Ireland. The 35-year-old had Joe Etter, Davis Thompson's caddie, working for him at last week's Scottish Open. But Thompson earned one of the final spots in the Open field, meaning English had to turn to Bescansa.

English is ranked No. 19 in the world and he is in the hunt to qualify for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in September, making the news of Larson's absence even more frustrating for the form Georgia native.

English won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January before finishing in a share of second place at Quali Hollow in the PGA Championship. He also finished in a tie for fourth place at last month's Travelers Championship.

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