Jun. 21—Joplin built a 7-3 lead over Springfield in the first round of the 87th Women’s Horton Smith Cup on Sunday at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Joplin.
Sunday’s competition featured 10 doubles matches that resulted in seven Joplin wins and three Springfield wins. The final round of singles matches will begin at 8 a.m. Monday at Briarbrook Golf Course.
Springfield has won the cup the past two years, including last year’s 16 1/2-13 1/2 decision that saw Springfield overcome a 6-4 deficit after the first day of doubles matches. Joplin won seven of the 10 years prior to Springfield’s current two-year streak.
The first four groups off the tee box on Sunday played to a 2-2 split. For Joplin, the duo of Jenna Teeter and Sue Taylor downed Kayla Pfitzner and Sally Jenkins 2 and 1 while Maggie Moore and Kristi Santee defeated Christi Blasi and Teresa Noblitt 4 and 3. Springfield’s Wriley Heibert and Nancy White defeated Lily Allman and Leigh Ann Hackney 2 and 1, and Katie Yates and Nida Thomas downed Kelly Trahan and Dawn Huff 4 and 3.
Joplin picked up steam in the final six groupings as it claimed five points while limiting Springfield to one point.
Hannah Torres and Jill Huffman added to Joplin’s point total by defeating Dawna Hartman and Regina Townes 3 and 2. Joplin’s Kylie Carnes and Kerry Helton also picked up a point, defeating Springfield’s Carmen Thomas and Julie Krueger 2 up.
Springfield’s final point came from the doubles team of Carla Chaney and Pat Myers, who finished 3 up over Debbie Smith and Amanda Rains.
Joplin capped the day with three straight points as Kim Brewer and Suzanne Patton defeated Kathy Haeffner and Kim Lewis 2 and 1, Karen Curran and Beth Parmley defeated Hannah Spotts and Linda Hyde 2 and 1 and Tammy Thomas and Teri Carlson defeated Nancy Rahmeyer and Amanda Smith 1 up.
Here are Monday’s singles pairings, announced by Joplin captain Tammy Thomas, with Joplin players listed first:
8 a.m.—Patton vs. Haeffner (off No. 1), Trahan vs. Pfitzner (off No. 10);
8:10—Rains vs. Nida Thomas, Allman vs. Heibert;
8:20—Helton vs. Hyde, Moore vs. Blasi;
8:30—Huff vs. Lewis, Carnes vs. Yates;
8:40—Hackney vs. Krueger, Hannah Torres vs. Dawna Hartman;
8:50—Santee vs. Noblitt, Curran vs. Lisa Tinkler;
9—Tammy Thomas vs. White, Parmley vs. Townes;
9:10—Taylor vs. Rahmeyer, Brewer vs. Spotts;
9:20—Carlson vs. Amanda Smith, Debbie Smith vs. Carmen Thomas;
9:30—Carolyn Gilstrap vs. Jenkins, Huffman vs. Chaney.
This is the 87th year of the competition between the two cities for the cup named in honor of Horton Smith, who has ties to both cities and was the winner of the first Masters in 1934 and again in ’36.