Tait Storms Back to End Colorado Win Drought

Three-time state prep champ claims CWGA Stroke Play title

By Gary Baines

Colorado Golf Journal, Thursday, July 10, 2008

     COMMERCE CITY -- It’s a good bet to assume that a person who has overcome a major setback dealt by Hurricane Katrina won’t be easy to defeat.

    If Ashley Tait’s opponents didn’t know that already,  they found out Thursday at Buffalo Run Golf Course.

     Tait took all her obstacles in stride to win the Colorado Women’s Golf Association Stroke Play Championship. A three-stroke deficit entering the final round, a triple bogey on her fifth hole, and lack of wins in Colorado in recent years -- none of those hurdles proved insurmountable for the 21-year-old from Littleton.

     “This feels real good; it’s been a long time since I won in my own state,” Tait said. “I knew that sooner or later I’d have a good day.”

    Tait wasn’t certain, but to the best of her recollection her last significant victory in Colorado was the third of her three state high school titles, in 2005.

    The junior-to-be on the North Carolina-Wilmington golf team shot a 1-over-par 73 Thursday for a one-stroke victory. Her 3-

under-par 213 total left Tait a shot ahead of University of Denver golfer Dawn Shockley (who posted a 72 Thursday) and two in front of Australian Stacey Keating (74). Both of those players qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Colorado Golf Club on Monday.

     Becca Huffer, a two-time state high school champion and the Colorado Women’s Open runner-up in late May, took a three-stroke lead into the final round, but closed with a 7-over-par 79 to finish fourth at 216. It was quite a change after Huffer shot 68-69 the first two days, going bogey-free on Tuesday and making eight birdies on Wednesday.

    “I played real bad,” Huffer said after making two double bogeys in her final five holes to lose the lead. “It kind of sucked. But Ashley played real well and made a lot of putts. She deserved to win.”

     Tait, while playing for Mullen, was one of the most successful girls high school players in state history, winning 4A titles in 2002, ‘04 and ‘05, along with the CWGA Junior Stroke Play crown in 2003. After graduating in 2005, Tait went to New Orleans’ Tulane University on a golf scholarship. But shortly after she arrived in late August 2005, Katrina hit New Orleans, causing catastrophic damage.

     Several months later, the Tulane golf program was disbanded, and Tait was left to find a new university  for which to play. And some health problems didn’t help matters during this tough time. But she eventually landed at UNC-Wilmington, and she’s since won a Colonial Athletic Association conference title as a freshman in 2007 and finished runner-up as a sophomore this year.

      Just as Tait overcame adversity regarding her college career, she had to get over a speed bump of sorts this week. On Monday in qualifying for the U.S. Women‘s Amateur, she was involved in a five-golfer playoff for the final two spots into the national tournament. But a three-putt bogey on the third extra hole left her on the outside looking in.

    “I just wanted to avoid a playoff here (at the CWGA Stroke Play); that was a key for me,” Tait said with a smile.

     On Thursday, Tait grabbed the outright lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole -- her sixth birdie of the round -- and never relinquished the top spot, despite a three-putt bogey from the back fringe on No. 17. A 2-foot par putt on No. 18 avoided a playoff and secured the victory.

     “Every great player has won this tournament, so this means a lot to me,” Tait said.

CWGA Stroke Play champ Ashley Tait

Ashley Tait

Becca Huffer

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