Former MCC Golf Coach, Lou Hart, Captures State Senior Am

Marty Stamper
staff writer
The Meridian Star

Just counting her nine Mississippi Women’s Golf Association state amateur championships, Lou Hart would have quite an impressive golf resume.

But the Meridian golfer is still adding chapters to her success story. She won the MWGA State Senior Amateur last week at Columbus Country Club. She previously won the senior state am in 2002.On top of that, Hart has also qualified for the USGA Women’s Senior Amateur to be held at Sea Island, Ga., in October.

“The big guy upstairs has blessed me lately for which I am very grateful,” Hart said. “I am headed to Sea Island the first of October. I qualified at Ridglea Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas. There were 35 players and seven spots (for the USGA senior am) and I finished second low qualifier with a 78.”

The low round was a 77.

“That was a lot of fun,” Hart said. “I drove out there by myself thinking ‘what am I doing?’ My hope when I got out there was that the course would be pretty firm and it was, which is what I needed. It just set up really well for me. It was really tight which helps me.”

Hart previously played in the USGA Women’s Senior Amateur when it was held at Austin, Texas, making it to the round of 32.

“I won my first match and got beat on 18 in the second match,” she said.

“When we go to Sea Island, there will be a two-day qualifier with the low 64 scores going into match play.

“The big enchilada is still to be played. My husband (Alan) is going to go, so it will be like a mini-vacation as well as a big golf tournament.”

In winning the state senior am last week at Columbus, Hart shot even-par on the front nine holes, then birdied the first four holes on the back side en route to a 3-under par 69. She defeated Shelia Haynes by three strokes.

This year’s tournament was cut from 36 holes to 18 due to rain on the opening day.

“The first day got rained out and I had double-bogeyed the first hole, so the rainout didn’t hurt me,” Hart said. “The second day, I teed it up on the front side and had one bogey and one birdie. Then I birdied 10, 11, 12 and 13 starting out on the back. I kinda caught fire.

“I had one bogey coming in. I hit the ball as good as I’ve hit it in a long time. I made a few putts. I was fortunate to play well at the right time.”

Hart usually plays well at the Columbus course. She was the runner-up to Cissye Gallagher in the MWGA state am in 1987.

“It’s short and whenever a course is short and tight, that’s when I blossom because I don’t hit it very far, but I hit it pretty straight,” Hart said.

“I didn’t hit a lot of irons or woods into the greens. I hit a few. When you’re hitting pitching wedges and 9-irons into the greens a lot of times you’re able to score.”