By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — Shelly Stouffer is not just winning golf tournaments, she is making a little history along the way.

Stouffer became the first player to win four straight B.C. Senior Women’s Championships and she did it in style, winning by eight shots at Christina Lake Golf Club.

That eight-shot margin was the exact same cushion she started the final round with. Stouffer felt like she had the tournament in hand, but couldn’t help think about what happened at this same tournament in 2021 at Revelstoke Golf Club.

“I wasn’t going to let what happened to me in Revelstoke happen again,” she said. “I lost a nine-shot lead in nine holes. It was crazy. I ended up in a playoff with Jackie.”

She won that playoff, but the memory lingers, and it was Jackie Little, the six-time B.C. Senior Women’s champion, who was chasing her again at Christina Lake.

She needn’t have worried. Stouffer was rock-solid in the final round, hitting fairways and greens and getting it up and down when she needed to. The 53-year-old Nanoose Bay resident closed with a one-under 72 to finish the 54-hole event at four-under par.

“I think I hit 17 greens today,” she said. “I hit the ball really well. And I was pleased to finish under par. Has anyone won this event four straight years?” Not until now, she was told. And don’t be surprised if she continues to add to that total in the years ahead.

Stouffer, who last month won both the Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships at Sandpiper Golf Course in Harrison Mills, will attempt to post another first when she plays in the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship later this month at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in Cobble Hill. No one has ever won the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, Senior and Women’s Amateur Championships in the same year.

Stouffer knows that the Women’s Am will be a good test as she won’t have the huge length advantage she enjoyed this week at Christina Lake. “I am sure some of the young girls playing in that event can hit as long or longer than me,” she said. “I am up for the challenge. Hopefully I can roll in a few putts and hit some wedges close. I am going to work on my wedge game because I am definitely hitting my driver really well.”

Stouffer is coming off an incredible 2022 season, when in addition to winning the B.C. Senior Women’s title, she won the Canadian Mid-Am and Senior championships. Her year was highlighted when Stouffer won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to become the first British Columbian to win a United States Golf Association event.

She wanted to try and follow up that great year with another one. So far, so good. “I am totally excited about this year. I almost want to have a better year than I did last year and last year was amazing. I am pumped about what is to come.”

Little had to settle for second in the Senior championship, but she won her third straight Super-Senior championship for players aged 60 and older. Little matched Stouffer’s one-under 72 in the final round to finish at four-over par. Rhonda Orr of Winnipeg finished second, while Vancouver’s Holly Horwood was third. “I scrambled very well today,” Little said. “The long game is a little bit stuck.”

Little knew her chances of catching Stouffer in the final round were slim. “Shelly is hitting the ball really well. I have never been a long-ball hitter, but it certainly makes it easier going into greens. She’s probably hitting a wedge or 9-iron and I am hitting a 5-iron.”

Little said she’d love to see Stouffer complete her sweep of the B.C. championships at Arbutus Ridge. “Wouldn’t that be cool,” she said. “I think if she sharpens up her wedge game, she can compete with them. If she gets it going, she’ll be right in there.”

Sandra Turbide of Maple Ridge finished alone in third place in the Senior championship at eight-over par after closing with a two-over 75. Stouffer, Little and Turbide will represent British Columbia at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship, which goes Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Mill River Golf Club in Woodstock, Prince Edward Island.

Horwood, a three-time B.C. Senior Women’s champion, won the Super-Super Senior Championship for players 70 and older. Horwood shot an 81 in the final round to finish at 16-over par, 12 shots better than Dee Horie of Courtenay.

A two-person net better-ball competition was also held this week. The team of Arlene Johnston of Surrey and Joan Arnold of New Westminster won with a 54-hole score of 27-under par. That was five shots better than the second-place team of Tanis Senum of Kelowna and Wendy McAdam of Nanoose Bay.

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

Flight champions 1 through 5 were Little, Horwood, Betty Ann Shiels of Prince George, Corinne O’Handley of Kelowna and Johnston.

Click HERE for complete final scoring.