Girls’ golf series a success
October 16, 2026
Trophies for the winners and runners-up, provided by the DWGA
The 2026 Delaware high school girls’ golf fall tournament series concluded with a two-stage competition at Maple Dale Country Club in Dover Oct. 10.
The first groups competed using a 9-hole single player stroke format. Sanford School’s Valerie Danby won first place with an even-par 36, with Indian River’s Ellie Walls earning the runner-up trophy with a 39.
The second groups played with the same two-player scramble format of the six regional contests held between Sept. 28 and Oct. 6.
Molly Marinelli of Smyrna High and Allanah Matich of Dover High paired up to win the scramble event. Emma Clucas and Joy Baffone, teammates at St. Mark’s High in Wilmington, earned runner-up honors.
Players, parents, and coaches complimented the course conditions. Chris Brosius, Maple Dale’s general manager and PGA professional, said the greens were running fast, equivalent to an 11 on a Stimpmeter device.
Jordynn Chambers of Cape Henlopen played in the stroke play group
Jordynn Chambers, a Cape Henlopen ninth grader, scored a 50 on her own ball. “The greens were really fast, but the course was pretty. It’s been fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with everybody,” she said.
Walls, an experienced golfer on Indian River’s coed team, enjoyed the series. “It’s a good thing for all the girls to be able to play together and not have to worry about all the boys,” she said. “The girls can get better and just learn from it.”
Molly Wagner of St. Mark’s said, “I think it’s a good opportunity for girls, especially in Delaware since it’s such a small state.”
Gabby Hamstead, a senior at Cape Henlopen and three-year member of the Viking coed golf team, also appreciated what the series presented. “I’m glad we were able to all play and get together,” she said. “I’m happy this all worked out and got together throughout the season even though it was short.”
Clara Kelly is a coach for Sussex Academy’s team, an art teacher at East Millsboro Elementary, and a 2001 graduate of Cape Henlopen. “I think it’s been a great experience for high school girls. We’re keeping everything positive and trying to make them want to come back. I think we might have even more coming back next year,” she said.
The Delaware Women’s Golf Association sponsored the series along with the First Tee – Delaware. In addition to staffing the matches, the organization paid for the medals awarded at the regional matches and the trophies presented to the winners and runners-up at the statewide tournament.
DWGA president Lesley Corydon said, “The girls had a great day. One of the girls has been only playing for six weeks and after not being able to really get it in the air at all after the first few attempts, she had some great shots. She told me she’s so glad that her friend encouraged her to come out and do this this year because she loves golf after six weeks. I thought that kind of said it all. That really made my day and that’s why we’re all here.”
Girls’ golf gains DIAA Level 1 approval
The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors approved high school girls’ golf as a Level 1 developmental sport for the Fall 2027 season at its meeting Oct. 8 in Dover.
I presented the proposal to the board as a member of the DIAA golf committee task force that created it.
At Level 1, up to 11 schools can field teams and experiment with formats and competition options. With additional board approval, the sport can expand the number of participating schools, progressing though Level 2 and on up to Level 3 – the varsity level that includes state championships.
Under current regulations, once girls’ golf becomes a varsity sport, the current spring coed sport converts to boys’ golf.
I began work on the initiative in the spring of 2025. The First Tee – Delaware, the DWGA, and the Delaware Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association, including past president Dan Spedden and current president Keith Kenzierski, Jr., have been instrumental in moving this forward to its current success.
Kings Creek CC hosts 9-Hole Invitational
Kings Creek Country Club held its 2026 Ladies 9-Hole Invitational Oct. 8. The competitors split between the front nine and the back nine.
Deb Lock, Liz Miller, Michele Rogers, and Robin Medford won first place on the front nine. Stephanie Roash, Heather Leiggi, Nancy Mayott, and Brenda Schilli took second, with Janet Reid, Sandy Perrone, Karen Varesco, and Krista Nordhoff finishing third.
Jan Edwards, Pam Lyons, Anne Martinez, and Mary Howser came in fourth, with Diane Connelly, Kim Davidson, Kathy Polley, and Jackie Parker taking fifth. Marilyn Carpenter, Angela Stephan, Adele Fronczek, and Celia Winter came in sixth.
Kaye Allison, Carol Loewen, Debbie Grant, and Sharon Conover won first place on the back nine, with Julie Tagen, Donna Romer, Michelle McNichol, and Marni Goldberg in second.
Tracy Gordon, Darci Whitehead, Kathy Andrus, and Sherry Schaffer finished in third, with Marie Murray, Christine Emery, Dina McCullough, and Jennifer Liner taking fourth. Faye Slatcher, Denise Stewart, Joanne Yurik, and Kathy Casey came in fifth, with Patti Malatesta, Maryjane Lang, Patty Downing, and Nancy Dean finishing in sixth.