Shears wins WV Women’s Senior Am
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FAIRLAND, Va. - No reason for Daneen Shears to be nervous.
The golfer from Elizabeth shot rounds of 5-over par 75 both Tuesday and Wednesday to claim her second West Virginia Women's Senior Amateur championship in three years.
"My first title, I was in tears - I was excited," Shears said. "It was awesome. This one was great - I just tried to play my game and see what happened."
At Fincastle Country Club, Shears finished with a nine-stroke margin of victory over runner-up Allison Ballard from Charleston.
"Like playing any kind of course, you want to keep it in the middle of the fairway and hit greens - at Fincastle you had to watch the green because you couldn't play your shot where the hole was," Shears said. "You had to pay attention to where the ball rolled on the green. During my practice round, I made sure to write a lot of notes.
"I had my husband (Lance) caddying and he would suggest where to hit it on the green. My putting, nerves usually get the best of me. Hitting the ball, I can focus on one shot, but on the putting green that's been my nightmare. Half my score is putting."
The three-hour drive, one-way, was definitely worth taking to a golf course Shears had no previous experience. After one round, she owned a one-stroke lead over Ballard.
On Day 2, several golfers in contention slipped back into the pack while several others tried to make a move up the leaderboard. Claytina Shepherd from Beckley finished in a tie for sixth place after turning in the second lowest round with a 77.
Kathy Thompson from Summersville and Karen Rainey from Daniels also broke 80 by posting a 79 and finished third and fifth, respectively.
After hitting her second shot on her final hole, at no time had Shears done any scoreboard watching.
"I was actually inputting scores in our group on Golf Genius, but quickly looked away at any of their total scores," Shears said. "On the 18th hole, I finally looked to see how everybody was doing. It feels good to win another one. I told my husband I better be excited because it might be the last one. You never know.
"I've had back trouble. I have a bulging disc in my lower back. This year, I have been playing totally awesome. I've been working out with a Palaties Reformer board and going to a trainer once a week. My length on shots has been so much further - it's given me a lot more power. Of course, I still ice my back in the morning."
One or two differences may have occurred at the outset of the tournament between husband and wife and how to play the next shot, but in the grand scheme Daneen Shears was glad to have who she did on her bag.
"My husband is my rock," she said.
In the matter of weeks, Shears switches gears as the golf coach for Wirt County High School. The team as a whole is excited about the prospects of the upcoming season, which begins Aug. 3.
"I put together a big schedule for them," Shears said.