THE DONNA ANDREWS INVITATIONAL STARTS SUNDAY

The sixth annual Donna Andrews Invitational tees off this Sunday, June 30th, at Boonsboro Country Club. Named after Lynchburg native, renowned amateur golfer, and six-time LPGA winner Donna Andrews, “The Donna,” as it is fondly called, has quickly become one of the top women’s amateur golf tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic.

From the draw of Donna Andrews herself and the exceptional player’s treatment to the well-run tournament and the course at Boonsboro Country Club, golfers have marked this tournament as a must-play event. Even with a scheduling change to the North South Amateur Tournament at Pinehurst, which shifted some former Donna participants' plans, this year’s Donna Andrews Invitational still boasts a strong and competitive field.

“The Donna,” as it is fondly called, has quickly become one of the top women’s amateur golf tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic.

This year’s tournament includes two divisions: Open, available to any competitor meeting certain eligibility requirements, and Senior, available to competitors ages 50 and older. Play begins at 7:30 AM each day from Sunday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 2. If you cannot make it out to the tournament you have options to stay plugged in.

Check out Saturdays practice round video courtesy of MattPooch Media

To keep up with the tournament use this live scoring link for the entire tournament. MattPooch Media will be posting videos throughout the event along with leaderboards and links back to the leaderboard at https://www.instagram.com/thedonna2019.

IN MEMORY OF ELEANOR WASHBURN

As announced last year, The Donna is dedicated to the memory of tournament founder Steve Washburn’s granddaughter, Eleanor Washburn, who lost a courageous battle to cancer at an early age. Eleanor’s memory will continue to be honored as The Donna has joined forces with the Life Ring Foundation and their Fighting Kids' Cancer program. Anyone wishing to join the fight against kids' cancer in Southwest VA can donate in Eleanor's name to the Life Ring Foundation by clicking "I'm Fighting Kids' Cancer for Eleanor."

WHO IS DONNA ANDREWS?

Lynchburg native Donna Andrews and now teaching professional in Pine Needles, NC is Virginia’s top-ranked female golfer of all time. She dominated Virginia women's amateur golf, and has won at every level of golf, including six victories on the LPGA tour and one major championship at the Dinah Shore. The Dinah Shore, now the Chevron Championship, is often considered the equivalent of the Ladies Masters, an elite field by invitation only and typically held at the same course every year.

However, when discussing golf and what genuinely excites her, Donna Andrews does not focus on her own success. Instead, she speaks passionately about the people who mentored her and those she is now striving to mentor.

Early Influence

Growing up in Lynchburg, Donna Andrews was deeply influenced by the seasoned golfers around her. These mentors, from local legends to supportive peers in the Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA), shaped her path to becoming an LPGA champion. "When I was growing up, there were so many mentors just in Virginia.” Donna recalls VSGA events where she would listen to stories from Virginia Sports Hall of Famer Jane Mack and others. These early experiences and the camaraderie she received were pivotal in her development.

Mentorship Program

Now, as a former major LPGA champion herself, Donna is committed to paying it forward. Hosting "The Donna" at Boonsboro Country Club, she aims to create an environment where young golfers can flourish. "Part of my key was to have a mentorship program so that these young women that were coming up and getting started in the game had this senior division of these women that have experienced life and could give them some guidance," she explains. This initiative ensures that the younger participants not only refine their skills but also receive invaluable life advice and encouragement.

Lynchburg and BCC

Lynchburg, with a challenging course like Boonsboro, played a crucial role in honing Donna's game. Reflecting on her hometown, she says, "Boonsboro Country Club is a test of anybody's golf game...you learned how to play out of thick rough, hit lob shots over the bunker and just try to keep it on the green. There's no aspect of your game that goes untouched at Boonsboro." The town's supportive community and the demanding nature of Boonsboro prepared her for the rigors of professional play. Recognizing the role her hometown played in her success, Donna is determined to give back to the game that has given her so much.

Through her tournament and mentorship program, Donna Andrews hopes to inspire and nurture the next generation of golfers. By fostering a supportive and competitive environment, she ensures that her legacy extends beyond her own achievements, contributing to the growth and development of young talent in the sport.

THIS YEAR’S FIELD

Defending Champion and Virginia Tech graduate Rebecca (Becca) DiNunzio is in this year’s field and is always near the lead, finishing no worse than 2nd in the other years she played (2020 and 2021).

Once she figured out Boonsboro after a 30th finish in 2020, 2021 champion Jackie Rogowicz has placed 1st (2021), 3rd (2022), and 4th (2023), and returns to this year’s field.

Nicha Kanpai, making her Donna debut, is the highest-ranked golfer in the field at 111 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Nicha, from Thailand, plays collegiate golf for the University of Maryland.

Emily Matthews, who finished 6th last year, just completed a stellar freshman campaign at Virginia Tech, rising to 495 in the WAGR.

Four-time first team collegiate all-league pick Mallory Fobes while at UNC Wilmington is in the field. One of the top amateurs in North Carolina, Mallory has a WAGR of 647.

Kennedy Carroll finished 8th last year and just entered the transfer portal to move from Augusta University to the University of Alabama.

Elsie MacCleery, a UVA commit (Class of 2029), finished 10th last year and is from Crozet, just outside Charlottesville.

Caroline Craig has played in all five Donna Andrews Invitationals and, like others, says it is her favorite summer tournament. Caroline finished her graduate year at Indiana (after transferring from UGA) and won the Big 10 Individual Championship. She has placed multiple years in the top 15 at The Donna.

OTHER NEWCOMERS TO WATCH

Ariana Castro just completed her senior season at SCAD in Savannah, GA, with notable accomplishments and multiple honors, including NAIA First Team All-American her junior year, as well as multiple honors within the Sun Conference. Ariana is ranked 662 in WAGR and was a participant on the Peru National team.

After a successful high school career at Lexington HS, Molly Hardwick recently transferred from Ole Miss to the College of Charleston (both top 50 programs).

Other notable newcomers to watch are the University of Maryland’s AnPhi Le and Australian Taylah Ellems, who achieved Big South All-Freshman Team honors in 2023.

JUNIORS ON THE RISE

The three most recent notable men’s amateur tournaments played at Boonsboro, including the 2023 VSGA Amateur Championship, have resulted in teenagers not only at the top of the leaderboard but being crowned champions as well.

There is no doubt that junior golfers this week could be contending in the Donna by late Tuesday as well. Among those who could be contending are:

• Kornchanok Triyakul from Bangkok, Thailand, ranked 1657 in WAGR and a verbal commit to California Baptist University.
• Grace Ridenour made it to Match Play in the USGA Four-Ball this year and committed to play collegiately at the University of North Carolina in 2025.
• Fifteen-year-old Vincenza (Vinny) Papa from Rhode Island finished 3rd in the Donna Division last year (no longer offered) and has an evolving game.

SENIOR DIVISION IS LOADED

2024 appears to feature the strongest senior’s division field in The Donna’s six-year history, as 25 players were fully exempt into the tournament, mostly from their USGA Sr. Women's Qualifiers. There are five players ranked in the top 50 of the Senior WAGR rankings.

Kathy Hartwiger returns to The Donna as defending senior division champion after posting -2 over the three days. Earlier this month, she won the North Carolina Senior Women’s Amateur. Over her career, Kathy has plenty of accolades and hardware, including playing in three US Senior Women’s Amateurs, winning the 2002 US Women’s Mid-Am, being a 10-time winner of the Alabama Women’s State Amateur, holding the record for most Alabama Golf Association state tournaments won (21), and winning the 2020 Alabama Women’s State Senior Amateur and being runner-up in 2021.

The Donna 2022 Senior Division Champion Susan West is in the field. West, a former scholarship tennis player at the University of Alabama, traded the tennis racket twenty years ago for a golf club. Since the equipment trade, she became a top-30 ranked senior women’s amateur in the world, has won six Alabama state titles, and played in 20 USGA events, including two U.S. Senior Women’s Opens.

Suzi Spotelson also started her athletic career in sports other than golf. She chose softball over basketball when college coaches came calling. She went on to play left field for Northwestern when her team advanced into the 1986 Women’s College World Series and made it to the 1987 World Series Regional Finals. Since then, Spotelson has had several top finishes in amateur events, including four Ohio State Senior and three Ohio State Mid-Amateur championships. In 2021, she claimed both titles in the same year. Suzi posted last year’s low round in the Sr. Division of The Donna with a 68 in round one and went on to place third with a score of even par.

Coming in all the way from Carlsbad, CA, is 2024 Northern California Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Champion Corey Weworski. In her last nineteen events, she posted thirteen top ten finishes. She was also the third-lowest amateur in the 2023 US Senior Women’s Open Championship.

Judy Penman is the 2023 North Carolina Women’s Golf Association State Amateur Senior Champion. In her last four events, Penman has three top ten finishes in addition to the win.

Although Brenda Corrie-Kuehn’s well-documented competition while eight months pregnant with Rachel Kuehn, now ranked #7 worldwide in women’s amateur golf, is well documented, Brenda has many other notable achievements. These include competing in more than 45 USGA championships, 16 women’s amateurs, nine US Women’s Opens, two Curtis Cup teams, winning the North Carolina Senior Women’s Amateur Championship multiple times, and winning as a pro on the Futures Golf Tour.

2021 Senior Champion Andrea Miller, also runner-up in both 2023 and 2022, has proven she is near the top of the scoreboard. From Keswick, VA, Miller has earned the claim to the best tournament record with home proximity closest to Boonsboro at two hours. In her last eleven events, Miller has 4 top 10 finishes and 2 wins at the 2023 VSGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship and the same tournament in 2022.

HOMETOWN CHAMPIONS

Three golfers hailing from and standing for Greater Lynchburg in this year’s field include:

• Caitlyn Baxter, Amherst, VA - Poplar Grove Golf Club
• Coty Clarke, Forest, VA - Ivy Hill Golf Club
• Danielle Lawton, Forest, VA - Boonsboro Country Club

Fifteen-year-old Caitlyn Baxter from Amherst has been busy the last two years on the Peggy Kirk Bell tour and finished second twice in Mid Atlantic sites, including a four-under round of 68 one month ago at the Country Club of Salisbury.

2011 E.C. Glass graduate and Lynchburg native Coty Clarke is well known around Greater Lynchburg’s and Mid Atlantic golf circles. After stints at Hollins and JMU, Clarke graduated from Liberty University and has multiple CVWGT titles to show.

Boonsboro Country Club member Danielle Lawton started golf less than a decade ago after her Berry College equestrian scholarship career ended with an injury. After focusing on golf, Danielle followed a successful collegiate career at Sandhills with a couple of top ten placements in the Donna division.

The sixth annual Donna Andrews Invitational promises to be an exciting and competitive event, honoring the legacy of Donna Andrews and providing a platform for top women golfers to display their skills. With a strong field of both seasoned champions and rising stars, along with the dedication to Eleanor Washburn's memory, this tournament is set to offer thrilling moments and inspirational stories. Whether you are a participant or a spectator, this year’s Donna Andrews Invitational is sure to be a memorable highlight in what has become one of the most prestigious women’s amateur events on the East Coast.