By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf 

CHRISTINA LAKE — For a while, it looked like Shelly Stouffer had run out of birdies. The back nine changed that.

Stouffer recovered nicely from a shaky start to her second round with three birdies on the back side of Christina Lake Golf Club that helped give her a hefty eight-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship.

“I had a tough start,” Stouffer said. “My chipping was not very good today, but then I started hitting more greens.”

Stouffer, who had made seven birdies in her opening round, didn’t get her first one Tuesday until the 14th hole. She then added another one on 15 and a third on the par 5 18th, where she narrowly missed an eagle putt.

That finish salvaged a round of even-par 73 that left the Nanoose Bay resident three-under through 36 holes. “I would have liked to have made that eagle, but I didn’t lose any shots to par today, so I am happy with that,” said Stouffer, who is attempting to win her fourth straight B.C. Senior Women’s title.

She leads Jackie Little of Procter by eight shots. Little shot a two-over 75 Tuesday and sits at five-over. That’s one shot better than Maple Ridge’s Sandra Turbide, who had the day’s best score, a one-under 72.

Three championships are being contested this week. The Senior Championship is open to players aged 50 and older. The Super Senior category is open to players aged 60 and older, while the Super-Super Senior Championship is for players 70 and above.

Little leads the Super Senior division by three shots over Vancouver’s Holly Horwood, who leads the Super-Super Senior category.

A 36-hole zone competition concluded Tuesday with Stouffer and partner Dee Horie of Courtenay winning it for Zone 6. They finished four shots ahead of the Zone 3 team of Turbide and Diane Mcfarlane of Surrey.

Click HERE for complete second round scoring from the BC Senior Women's Championship.