TEXARKANA, Ark. - In what turned into a close tournament, Debbie Magee and Lillian Granger held onto their lead and won the 52nd Annual Twice As Nice Women's Invitational championship Thursday at Texarkana Country Club.
Magee, of Bossier City, La., and Granger, from Shreveport, La., finished the 2-day event with a 3-over-par 73-74-147.
"It was tough out there today," said Granger, who was playing the Twice As Nice for just the second time and whose husband owns Jimmy Granger Ford dealerships in Louisiana. "Playing three days in a row and the stress, I sort of lost my game in the middle of the round.
"That's why it is partner golf, and we played very well together. We made some putts, and that's why we're here."
The team of Valerie Comerly and Debbie LeBlanc, who trailed Magee and Granger by two strokes after the first round, placed second with a 75-73-148.
Vicki DeLaughter and Teresa Horn carded a 2-under-par 70 in the final round (a scramble) to take third place with a 79-70-149.
"The course is fabulous," said Magee, who has been playing in the event for 15 years. "It's always a challenge to try to beat the previous winners, but this year we pulled through. This is one of my favorite places to play, and it is an awesome tournament.
"We sister-in-lawed very well together today. We can't wait to come back."
Janie Caldwell and Debbie Youngman finished fourth with a 78-73-151, and there were three teams tied a stroke back for fifth: 2019 tournament winners Kay Crumpton and Nancy Palazzetti (78-74-152), Alice Schwing-Smith and Gail LaGrange (78-74-152), and Gina O'Neal and Sandy Renner (80-72-152).
The teams of Lindy Fox and Tanya Mangus (81-75-156) and Diane Pennington and Robin Johnson (81-75-156) were tied for eighth place in the championship flight, and Pat Schultz and Teri Bacon placed 10th with their 80-78-158.
In the First Flight, first-day leaders Cheryl Boutte and Carla Thompson (76-77-153) won by three shots. Terrie Hefner and Jan Gilmore were runners-up in the flight with an 80-76-156, and Suzanne Tinsley and Susan Wright were third at 84-73-157.
Pat Walters and Peggy Neal claimed the Second Flight by three strokes. Walters and Neal shot 82-77-159, and there were two teams tied for runner-up: Theresa Baxley and Barbara Kaminsky (85-77-162) and Frieda Sims and Elaine Flanagan (84-78-162).
The Third Flight was won by Brenda Hobbs and Pat Grimes, who has played the event for 23 consecutive years, with their 86-84-170. Freida Brainerd and Stephanie Wright were second with an 88-86-174, and Gayle Gansfuss and Jill Litton were third at 95-86-181.