By KEITH SHELTON

Escanaba Daily Press

GLADSTONE – Irish Oaks Golf Club in Gladstone is looking to make its Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association Tournament debut a memorable one.

But just as notable as who is playing in the 72-woman field is who isn’t.

For starters, three-time defending champion Avery Rochester of Marquette will not be back to defend her title. Also absent is fellow Marquette native Carley Saint-Onge.

However, the field is not devoid of young talent as 2014 runner-up Zoe Woodworth of Calumet will return as one of the frontrunners this year.

“I think my game has been going well. I’ve been changing up my swing a bit to gain more yardage, and I’ve been hitting the ball well lately,” said Woodworth, who fell 3 and 2 to Rochester in last year’s final.

Woodworth worked at Portage Lake Golf Course in Houghton this summer and plays there on occasion, though her home course is Calumet, making her trip to Irish Oaks one of the longest among the field.

Even though this is her fourth time in the tournament, she may be the youngest player in the field and is something of a rare breed – a golfer younger than 25 years old in the UPLGA tourney.

So she can offer some perspective for high school or recently graduates with thoughts of entering.

“It’s a lot of golf, but it’s super fun,” Woodworth said. “It’s a different (mind) set – you could not be playing your best golf, but it’s match play so that’s also the key thing you have to think about.

“I would recommend it to everyone. It’s a good week, you get to play a lot of cool courses and meet fun people. I would say, focus on your game, not other people’s. It can get into your head a little bit.”

The four-day tournament begins Saturday with a round of stroke play, which determine flights for the start of match play on Sunday.

There will be nine flights – a championship flight, a president’s cup flight and seven other flights. The tournament concludes Tuesday with the match-play finals.

The rest of the field includes former UPLGA champions, golf veterans and Gladstone- and Escanaba-area talent as well.

Among the favorites are Karen Plaisier of Wawonowin Country Club in western Marquette County, Becky Cecconi of Escanaba Pine Grove, Nancy Osier and Kathy Shamion of Gogebic, Karen Wiles of Escanaba, and Lori Shea of Gladstone.

Cecconi makes her return to the UPLGA Tournament after a lengthy absence. She won titles in 1991, ’92, ’94 and ’95 and was runner-up in ’96.

But Cecconi isn’t coming in with a hunger for competition; instead she’ll take a wait-and-see attitude.

“I wasn’t really thinking about this too much competitively,” Cecconi said. “I’m just going in and having some fun with the home-course girls. If you play good, it’s a bonus, but it’s more for the camaraderie.”

Plaisier has been runner-up in the UPLGA Tournament five times but has never won one, though she has won the UPLGA Senior Tournament five times.

“You never know,” she said of the wide-open field. “It’s who can push four days together, that’s the biggest thing.

“It comes and goes, and for some it’s pretty easy sometimes. It should be a lot fun. A lot of girls I know will be there, and it should be a great week.”

Shea made it to last year’s semifinals, falling to the eventual champion Rochester. She may have a slight edge on some, being close to Irish Oaks and having played it a handful of times.

“I played earlier in the spring time and scored a 39, but the trees were not in full bloom yet,” she said. “It can be a tight course when you have branches to go around.

“The benefit of being a member at Gladstone is we also have a tight course, so it’s not like it’s going to be new to me.

“I just have to remember to keep my head down and swing through the ball. My golf game has been good. My short game is still a little rusty, but I’m working on it. I feel pretty good in my tee and approach shots.”

Golfers will hit from the gold tees to meet the UPLGA standard of 5,400 yards.

Rosie Spindler, one of the tournament organizers at Irish Oaks, said the course is in fantastic shape and described the course as being tight on some holes and more wide open on others, with big greens.

“Our greens are huge; we have some undulating greens,” she said. “The first five holes on the front nine are a little tight because of the trees, but it opens up a little bit more on holes six through nine. There’s only one par-3 on the front nine and three on the back nine, so the back plays a little shorter.

“The greens are in great shape,” Spindler said. “Steve Seger is the superintendent and he does a super job. Everyone who has played up here has said the course is in fantastic shape.”

Among others in the 72-woman field are Lisa LaCasse, Karen McCorkle and Holly Canull of Gladstone; JoAnn Poncino and Pam Frankini of Pine Grove; Kathy Gagnon of Oak Crest; and Leigh Bellbille and Jackie Villenure of Indian Lake near Manistique.

Play begins at 8:30 Saturday morning with Cecconi, Woodworth, Plaisier and Shea in the first group.