UPDATED: September 11, 5:00 p.m. - Reigning WMGA/MGA Women's Met Amateur champion Laura Algiero of White Plains, N.Y., made a valiant run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship in Hershey, Pa., but suffered a 4 & 3 loss to Brenda Pictor of Marietta, Ga. Algiero was leading through three holes before Pictor took the next two holes with birdies, after which Algiero never regained the momentum.

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UPDATED: September 11, 12:45 p.m. - Following the round of 32 matches on Tuesday morning, Laura Algiero of White Plains, N.Y., is the lone Met area player remaining in the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship in Hershey, Pa. Algiero, a Whippoorwill member who won the WMGA/MGA Women's Met Amateur Championship at the Stanwich Club in June, never trailed as she defeated Noreen Mohler of Bethlehem, Pa., by a 2-up margin.

With the victory, Algiero's day continues with a round of 16 matchup this afternoon against Brenda Pictor of Marietta, Ga. That match is scheduled to begin at 1:25 pm, and you can follow the action through live scoring on the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur website.

The other Met Area player to advance to the round of 32, Frances Gacos of Flemington, N.J., did not fare as well. Gacos was defeated, 2 & 1, by Jane Fitzgerald of Kensington, Md., thus ending her week in this USGA championship for women amateurs aged 50 and over.

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UPDATED: September 10, 3:00 p.m. -  Frances Gacos and Laura Algiero sucessfully defeated their oppononents in the first round of match play at the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur. Gacos saw a close match from the start, but she was able to remain in the lead for the most of the round, winning the match 2 & 1. Algiero won her match 1-up after fighting back from a 3-down deficit after the 14th hole. Denise Martorana lost her match 4 & 3, along with Cheryl Brayman who lost 3 & 1.

You can follow Gacos and Algiero through live scoring on the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur website.

Round of 32 (Tuesday):

Algiero vs. Noreen Mohler of Bethlehem, Pa. at 8:27 a.m.
Gacos vs. Jane Fitzgerald of Kensington, Md. at 9:03 a.m.

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UPDATED: September 9, 8:00 p.m. - After completing the second round of stroke play qualifying today at Hershey Country Club, four of the six golfers representing the Met Area will move on to the match play portion of the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur. Denise Martorana (12-over), Laura Algiero (14-over), Frances Gacos and Cheryl Brayman (both 16-over) survived the cut. Falling below the cut line, which was made at 17-over, were Alicia Kapheim and Helen Stovell. As match play begins Monday morning, the four Met Area women headed to the Round of 64 are one step closer to bringing home the trophy.

Round of 64:

Brayman vs. Brenda Pictor of Marietta, Ga. at 9:27 a.m.
Algiero vs. Pamela Kuong of Wellelsey Hills, Mass. at 9:54 a.m.
Martorana vs. Barbara Pagana of Selinsgrove, Pa. at 10:57 a.m.
Gacos vs. Liz Waynick of Scottsdale, Ariz. at 11:06 a.m.

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UPDATED: September 9, 11:00 a.m. - After a two hour weather delay, players ran out of daylight during the first round of stroke play at Hershey Country Club on Saturday. After resuming play early Sunday morning, Laura Algiero is T10 after a score of 3-over 77. Frances Gacos is T31 at 6-over, Denise Martorana is 8-over, Alicia Kapheim is 10-over, Cheryl Brayman is 12-over, and Helen Stovell is 13-over. With the second round of stroke play qualifying underway, the ladies have another day to try to move up the leaderboard.

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Original Preview Story

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 6, 2012) – Six  talented local women will take a step on the national stage when they travel to Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pa., for the 51st U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur beginning Saturday, September 8.  The Senior Am is open to female amateurs who have reached their 50th birthday by Sept. 8 and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4.

Headlining the local ladies is two-time MGA/WMGA Women’s Amateur champion Laura Algiero of White Plains, N.Y., who will be playing in her second U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur. Algiero, who also won the WMGA Stroke Play Championship and WGA Tournament of Champions in 2008, survived three sudden-death playoff holes to capture this year’s Women’s Met Am, and her ability to play under pressure should serve her well at Hershey.

Flemington, N.J., native Frances Gacos successfully made it to the Round of 32 at last year’s championship, and will attempt to push even further this year. Gacos has also qualified for match play in 2007 and 2006, and has played in the event a total of six previous times.

Hershey Country Club, located close to the chocolate factory, most recently hosted the 2011 PGA Professional National Championship and at 6,220 yards (par 74), it will be the second longest course in the history of the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur.

At the sectional qualifying round at Essex County Country Club in West Orange, N.J., Cheryl Brayman of East Hills, N.Y., finished as an alternate for the third year in a row. This year, however, she ended up gaining a spot in the final field. Brayman is not a newcomer to the Women’s Senior Am, though, as this will be her seventh appearance at the championship, playing with hopes of qualifying for the match play portion for the third time.

A familiar name in USGA records, Alicia Kapheim of Pennington, N.J., will make her debut in the senior event, playing as one of the youngest women at age 50. But she’s no stranger to national competition, having played in eight U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships (2002-2006 and 2008-2010), advancing as far as the Round of 32 in ‘02 and ‘03.

This will be the third consecutive Women’s Senior Am for Denise Martorana of Sag Harbor, N.Y., the medalist at the New Jersey qualifier. Martorana finished T10 at the Women’s Met Amateur back in June. Helen Stovell of Fairfield, Conn., rounds out the group from the Met Area that will travel to Hershey. Stovell will make her third appearance in a USGA event, having played in the 2005 Women’s Senior Am and the 2004 Women’s Mid-Am.

For complete coverage of the event, visit the official USGA Women's Senior Amateur website.

First Round Starting Times (EDT):

Algiero: 1:30 p.m., Tee 1
Brayman: 12:40 p.m., Tee 1
Gacos: 8:40 a.m., Tee 10
Kapheim: 1:00 p.m., Tee 10
Martorana: 8:50 a.m., Tee 10
Stovell: 8:00 a.m., Tee 1

Second Round Starting Times:

Algiero: 9:00 a.m., Tee 10
Brayman: 8:10 a.m., Tee 10
Gacos: 1:10 p.m., Tee 1
Kapheim: 8:30 a.m., Tee 1
Martorana: 1:20 p.m., Tee 1
Stovell: 12:30 p.m., Tee 10