Maggie Scott Tennessee's sole rep in U.S. Senior Am

Saturday, September 10, 2011

photo Maggie Scott, of Charleston, Tenn., practices her putt at the Cleveland Country Club on Tuesday in Cleveland, Tenn. Scott has qualified for the national senior women's golf championship at The Honors Course.

Maggie Scott has a permanent parking spot at Cleveland Country Club as the women's club champion.

It's been there so long that it's beginning to lean a little, and there's certainly no room to list all the years she's won the club championship - almost all since she joined in 1972.

"I'm always chasing her," said Linda Mullins, a fellow Cleveland member. "On some days I can beat Maggie, but by and large she's the one to beat."

Scott has been one of the best senior women's golfers in the state for a dozen years, and the club championship hardware is named the Maggie Scott Trophy.

Now 62 years old, the Charleston resident will compete against the best from across the nation in the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur beginning today at The Honors Course in Ooltewah.

Scott is the lone Tennessee representative in this national championship. Mullins is a second alternate and will be ready to play if enough participants withdraw.

"The membership gets behind her, and with this championship being in our back yard, I know there's going to be added pressure," said Cleveland general manager Lamar Mills. "But a lot of our membership will be down there and get behind her.

"She really gets our name out there statewide, and she's always proud to say, 'I'm from Cleveland Country Club.'"

Scott will be playing in her fourth U.S. Senior Women's Amateur. She first qualified in 2006, reached match play and won her first contest. She qualified again in 2007 but did not reach match play.

She was a first alternate in 2008. A few days before the tournament, somebody withdrew, allowing her into the tournament. So Scott called friend Darlene Bell and said, "Let's go to Tulsa," Scott recalled of the year she reached the round of 16. "She had family that she visited while I played.

"And let me tell you. Driving to Memphis is close after driving to Tulsa."

She has a much shorter drive this year - about 20 minutes - which provided the comforts of home before and after practice rounds this week and for as long as she lasts in this championship. Stroke-play qualifying is today and Sunday.

"My goal is to qualify for match play, then start winning matches," said Scott, a retired elementray school teacher. "I haven't played that much at the Honors, but staying at home will certainly help."