Prior to playing in Wednesday’s 72nd annual Nemadji Women’s Invitational, Tricia Ronchi dedicated her round to her morning golf partner, Jerry Rychlak, and his late wife, Renna.
Ronchi of South Range followed through with her dedication by cruising to a five-stroke victory with a 3-under par 68.
“We have a fun group that golfs together on weekday mornings, when I’m not working, and the tournament is kind of named after Jerry’s wife,” Ronchi said. “I told him a couple of weeks back that I really hope I can this for you, so it makes me feel a little bit prouder to be able to win it for him.”
Renna Rychlak was a longtime member of the Nemadji Women’s Golf Club who passed away July 27, 2011. In 2012, the senior portion of the Nemadji tournament was renamed the Renna Rychlak Memorial Senior Invitational.
Not only was the 68 a personal best for Ronchi, but it set a new tournament record. The previous record was a 70 by Hermantown’s Deb Showalter in 2004.
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There was a 22 recorded by Mrs. P.H. Stromquist in 1964, but that tournament was rained out after just three holes.
Ronchi’s rounds of 34s on the North and South courses included four birdies. The only blemish on her card was a bogey 4 on No. 5N.
“I was hitting ‘em well,” Ronchi said. “I had a couple more birdie putts that could have fell, but pars are good.”
Showalter, a six-time winner at Nemadji, and Amy Patenaude of Duluth tied for second with 73s.
Ronchi’s recent success at Nemadji includes winning the 2015 title. She also finished second last year to 11-time winner Norma O’Leary, the course superintendent at the Silver Bay Golf Course.
Ronchi and O’Leary were tied after 18 holes last year before O’Leary was one stroke better on the first extra hole.
“This feels pretty good,” said Ronchi, a 1995 graduate of Northwestern High School. “I was pretty excited, but also nervous. There were a number of younger golfers out this year so there was a good group of ladies to golf with and it was pretty competitive.”
Barb Olson, who golfs out of Duluth’s Enger Park, won the senior title with a 79, three-strokes better than Superior’s Deb Mayhew.
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“It was nip-and-tuck for quite a few holes,” Olson said. “Deb got into a bit of trouble right at the end, but other than that, she really played well. It could have gone either way.”
It was the sixth senior title for Olson, who won five straight from 2011-2015. She missed the tournament in 2016 and then lost by one stroke to Mayhew last year.
“I got to the green fine, but where I got in trouble was I missed a few putts I should have made,” Olson said. “My chipping also could have been better, where Deb’s was very good. Her trouble came off the tees.”
Championship flight winners included Vicky Shold, Moe Miller and Michele Reider, all of Superior.
Senior flight winners were Rice Lake’s Cheryl Mortensen, Superior’s Delores Graden and Thunder Bay’s Sandra Kailik.
DIVOTS: There were 50 golfers in this year’s event, including 21 in the senior division. Last year’s tournament included 21 golfers in the open division and 27 in the senior division. … Proceeds from the women’s invitational support the Superior High School girls golf team. … The NWGC is once again sponsoring a food drive for the Salvation Army. The drive runs through Saturday. Nonperishable donations may be dropped off at the golf course. … Mrs. Julius Juel won the first Invitational on July 9, 1947.
72nd annual Nemadji Women’s Invitational
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Championship Flight
Tricia Ronchi, 68; Deb Showalter, Amy Patenaude, 73s; Sami Mattson, 74; Diana Mueller, 75; Maddy Schintz, Norma O’Leary, Nicole Frederickson, 77s; Pat Kelly, 81.
First Flight
Vicky Shold, 77; Carissa Kunst, 81; Patty Lier, Jan Maki, 85s.
Second Flight
Moe Miller, 86; Julie Hines, 89; Brenda Milinkovich, Trish Anecki, 91; Judy Davern, 93; CJ Johnson, 94; Jeri Sylvester, 99; Nan Sauter, 102.
Third Flight
Michele Reider, 81; Stubby Nyquist, 87; Penny Grasky, 90; Barb Hoag, 93; Deb Kozlowski, 94; Lynn Larson, 95; Phyllis Dalgleish, 99; Renata Skube, 102.
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Renna Rychlak NWGC Senior Women’s Invitational
Championship Flight
Barb Olson, 79; Deb Mayhew, 82; Ginger Hartse, 95.
Second Flight
Cheryl Mortensen, 89; Vicky Haley, 94; Kathy R. Olson, 95; Kathy Nelson, Barb Buhr, 98s; Cathy Meysman, 105; Janet Knutson, 112.
Third Flight
Delores Graden, 95; Debbie Anderson, 98; Sheila Lysak, 99; Colleen Hasforth, Judy Holden, 103s; Linda Craig, 105.
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Fourth Flight
Sandra Kailik, 105; Pat Turcotte, 109; Judy Johnson, 113; Audrey Miller, 116; Becky Schmidt, 125.
Nemadji Women’s Invitational
Tournament Champions
1947-Mrs. Julius Juel, Nemadji, 86
1948-Mrs. Glen St. Julien, Hibbing, 90
1949-Miss Ione Ogren, Ridgeview, 96
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1950 - Unavailable
1951-Mrs. R.W. Johnson, Northland, 88
1952-Carol Ink, Lester Park, 90
1953-Miriamm Anderson, Nemadji, 90
1954-Jean Seaquist, Nemadji, 89
1955-Hazel Leland, Nemadji, 85
1956-Mrs. R.W. Johnson, Northland, 90
1957-Hazel Leland, Nemadji, 86
(Minnesota Public Links Tournament)
1958-Carol Marshall, Lester Park, 89
1960-Mrs. Kenneth Berklin, Hibbing, 95
1961-Mrs. Kenneth Berklin, Hibbing, 89
1962-Mrs. Phalin Johnson, Two Harbors
1963-Miss Carol Wilson, Bemidji, 92
1964-Mrs. P.H. Stromquist, Ridgeview, 22
(Score for three holes of rain-shortened tournament)
1965-60 - Unavailable
1970-Pamela Berry, Mpls., 76
(Minnesota Public Links Tournament)
1971-Lynn Ferr Reiff, St. Louis, Mo., 92
1972-Marilyn Magie, Duluth, 80
1973-Katie Bell, Northland, 88
1974-Mrs. James Stuard, Northland, 88
1975-Linda Hanson, Hurley, 95
1976-Peggy Kirsch, Ridgeview, 84
1977-Peggy Kirsch, Ridgeview, 80
1978-Peggy Kirsch, Ridgeview, 79
1979-Peggy Kirsch, Ridgeview, 79
1980-Sara Asta, Northland, 75
1981-Kim Kaiser, Hayward, 86
1982-Kim Kaiser, Hayward, 77
1983-Carol Marshall, Lester Park, 87
1984-Jean Hall, Grand Rapids, 90
1985-Margo Waletzko, Nemadji, 94
1986-Dana Scheff, Cloquet, 83
1987-Jean Gaske, Cook, 85
1988-Sarah Elton, Burnsville, Minn., 79
1989-Debbie Stocke, Enger Park, 82
1990-Deanna Brown, Danbury, 80
1991-Kelly Steen, Luck, 77
1992-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 79
1993-Tricia Wollack, Hermantown, 77
1994-Evelyn Newton, Trout Lake, 78
1995-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 73
1996-Sue Moline-Liberty, 77
1997-Monica Haag, 79
1998-Debbie Stocke
1999-Kelly Steen, 75 (Five-hole playoff with Debbie Stocke)
2000-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 72
2001-Kelly Steen
2002-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 73
2003-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 73
2004-Deb Showalter, 70
2005-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 75
2006-Deb Showalter, 77
2007-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 73
2008-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 76
2009-Deb Showalter, Hermantown, 73
2010-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 74
2011-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 71
2012-Deb Showalter, Hermantown, 78
2013-Maggie Lattery, Poplar, 78 (one-hole playoff with Deb Showalter)
2014-Maggie Lattery, Poplar, 72
2015-Tricia Glanville, 76
2016-Norma O’Leary, Silver Bay, 75
2017-Norma O’Leary, 73 (one-hole playoff win over Trish Ronchi)
2018-Tricia Ronchi, South Range, 68
Renna Rychlak Memorial Senior Invitational
1996-Pi Peterson, 82
1997-Barb Fetzek
1998-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids
1999-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids
2000-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids
2001-Pi Peterson
2002-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 77
2003-Cindy Raab, 76
2004-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 74
2005-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 78
2006-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 77
2007-Mary Meierotto, Nemadji, 88
2008-Cheryl, Mortensen, Turtle Back, 85
2009-Joan Richardson, Grand Rapids, 79
2010-Carol Carlson, Lakeland, Fla., 81
2011-Barb Olson, Duluth, 86
2012-Barb Olson, Duluth, 82
2013-Barb Olson, Duluth, 82
2014-Barb Olson, Duluth, 84
2015-Barb Olson, Duluth, 76
2016-Deb Mayhew, Superior, 87
2017-Deb Mayhew, Superior, 84
2018-Barb Olson, Duluth, 79
