Somerset Hills' Adrienne Maclean Wins Women's Senior Amateur
Adrienne MacLean of Somerset Hills capped a hectic summer with her first NJSGA victory, winning the 48th NJSGA Women’s Senior Amateur after shooting 79-76-155 on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club in Hopewell , defeating five-time champion Fran Gacos of Copper Hill (76-83-159) by four strokes.
Meral Melady of Rockaway River was third at 80-80-160 with K.C. Maloney of Spring Lake fourth at 83-80-163.
Melady was First Flight champion. Colleen Rafter of Eagle Ridge won the Second Flight at 85-80-165 and Mary Fenton of Lakewood was Super Senior champion at 87-90-177.
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MacLean entered the final 18 holes trailing Gacos by three shots and Sue Sardi of Cherry Valley by two.
“Fran is so steady. I knew I had to shoot lights out to beat her. All I wanted to do was make as many pars and putts as I could,” said MacLean, who had 14 pars and four bogeys. It was her first victory since winning the Elizabeth Goss Round Robin two years ago.
“It was a workout today, maintaining my focus and staying even-keeled. Honestly, I didn’t know where I stood until we got done. I was just playing this golf course, or at least, that’s what I tried to do. It’s hard enough worrying about yourself,” she said.
This summer, MacLean, 52, was runner-up by three strokes to Tara Fleming in the NJSGA Mid-Amateur. She also reached the quarterfinals of the NJSGA Women’s Amateur, losing in the semifinals in 19 holes to Noelle Maertz of Hyatt Hills.
MacLean, a graduate of Stanford, also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur, reaching match-play before falling in the first round. She also lost in the first round of match-play in the Senior Amateur in 2015.
“I’ve been working really hard on my swing. I have to give a shout-out to our head pro at Somerset Hills, Daniel Joseph. We’ve been working to fix my swing plane and I’m in a better position now. I’m very happy with the way I hit it today. I hit a lot of greens. It was a great ball-striking day for me.”
On top of all her golf play, MacLean was in the midst of a move. Her husband, John MacLean, was a member of the New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup champions in 1995 and a former head coach. He is a newly hired assistant coach of the Arizona Coyotes, necessitating a move from Basking Ridge to Scottsdale.
Tomorrow (Sept. 28), she will play in the Somerset Hills Centennial Celebration Invitational, honoring outstanding amateurs who have graced the fairways at Somerset Hills, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
She will play in the WMGA Better=Ball on Oct. 11 at Crestmont in West Orange, where she will team with New Yorker LeeAnn Lewis.
Then, it’s on to Arizona, where she will move on Nov. 2.
MacLean, a Long Island native, is no stranger to USGA championships, having played in 16, beginning with the 1981 Girls’ Junior at Illahe Hills Country Club in Salem, Ore., where she defeated Danielle Ammaccapane, 3 and 2, in the first round.
