Susan Miller Leading Tennessee Women’s Senior Amateur

Last year’s performance resulted in a special accolade for Susan Miller, but it also served as a reminder of how close the Loudon native was to making the year even more memorable.

Miller earned the Tennessee Golf Association’s prestigious 2023 Senior Women’s Player of the Year for the first time, joining the ranks of some of the state’s elite golfers. She won the Tennessee Senior Women’s Four-Ball with Robin Banner, was runner-up in the senior division of The Golf Capital of Tennessee Women’s Open and placed third at the Tennessee Women’s Senior Amateur.

With the 46^th edition of the Women’s Senior Amateur getting underway Tuesday at first-time TGA host Franklin Bridge Golf Club, Miller took a step in the right direction to complete some unfinished business from last year’s tournament.

Miller led by one shot after the first round at The Ooltewah Club, and seemed poised to win her second title in this event having claimed the 2018 championship. But a five-shot lead evaporated over the final six holes, narrowly missing out on a playoff to finish a disappointing third.

Once again, Miller finds herself atop the leaderboard heading into Wednesday’s final round after opening with an even-par 71 to secure a six-shot cushion. The Tellico Village Golf Club member quickly moved to 2-under after five holes, but she tallied only one more birdie at No. 15 while registering three bogeys on her solid round.

A trio of golfers occupy second place at 6-over 77 including Helen Holland of Nashville, Kerry Arendsee of College Grove and Nashville’s Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi, last year’s runner-up after losing in a playoff and the 2022 champion in this event.

Defending champion Leslie Letner of Crossville is among three participants tied for 5^th at 8-over 79, joining Karin Rader-Carson of Kingston Springs and Julie Carlton of Hermitage.

In the 8^th Tennessee Women’s Mid-Amateur competition, recent Nashville transplant Priscilla Harding holds a two-shot lead over Caroline Ludwikowski of Clarksville. The former Michigan State University golfer, who teamed with two of her sisters on the Spartans roster, shot an even-par 71 in Tuesday’s opening round.

Harding carded a 3-under 32 on her opening nine, and improved to 4-under with another birdie on No. 10. But three successive bogeys and another one on No. 16 brought her back to even on the day.

Ludwikowski, who last week competed at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur outside of Boston, moved into second with back-to-back birdies to finish her round of 2-over 73.

Teleri Hughes of Knoxville, the 2017 champion in the inaugural Mid-Amateur competition, sits in third place three shots off the lead after finishing at 3-over 74.

Franklin’s Gena Ridings made a strong showing in defending her title in the Tennessee Women’s Super Senior competition, closing her opening round with a 4-over 75 to take a three-shot lead.

Ridings had a clean front nine with eight pars and a lone bogey, then managed birdies on 10 and 14 stand at 1-over before closing with three consecutive bogeys.

Janice Sauter of Franklin posted a 7-over 78 to move into second place, while Debbie Barnes of Woodbury and Mary-Dave Blackman of Johnson City are tied for third at 11-over 82.

Three golfers – Crossville’s Suzanne Rhodes, Mount Juliet’s Mary Kelly and Karen Rogers of Knoxville - are deadlocked in a fifth-place tie at 12-over 83.

The final round on Wednesday morning will feature a shotgun start at 9:30 EDT. Miller’s threesome of Senior leaders goes off hole 1, while Ridings and her Super Senior playing partners tee off hole 9. The Mid-Amateur leaders headed by Harding will start on No. 18.

For complete results, go to TN Women's Senior and Mid-Am results.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com