Jim Meehan: Beth Wrigley looks to win 10th straight SAWGA title

Beth Wrigley took up the game of golf at age 30.

“Not very seriously at first when my husband and I started going out,” Wrigley said. “Of course I wanted to beat him. I guess that’s part of my personality. I really started playing seriously 15, 18 years ago.”

She’s put together seriously good results. The 51-year-old registered nurse at Sacred Heart has won the last nine Spokane Area Women’s Golf Association (SAWGA) championships. She’ll go for No. 10 when the biggest tournament on the SAWGA calendar unfolds Tuesday through Thursday.

The first round of the 54-hole event will be at The Fairways, followed by Deer Park and the final 18 at Manito.

“Yep, she’s definitely the favorite,” said Janet Skaife, who has played with Wrigley several times in the final group. “She rarely gets into trouble and when she does she’s able to get out of it with one shot. A lot of us take two shots and have a bad hole.”

Wrigley won her first title in 2005 as an 11 handicap and she’s won with nearly every number in between her current 2.1. She has won by as many as 22 strokes and by as few as four. A year ago, the outcome was in doubt entering the final nine before Wrigley pulled away from Lisette Carter, the champion from 1999-2002.

The tournament changes venues each year, meaning Wrigley has been successful on virtually every course in the region.

Still, she takes nothing for granted. There are about seven players among the 102 in the field carrying carry single-digit handicaps. Wrigley played The Fairways earlier this week, jotting down notes and yardages in preparation for Tuesday’s opening round.

“To be honest, the field has gotten better,” said Wrigley, who plays league at Indian Canyon. “I get nervous on the first tee like everybody else.”

Wrigley takes lessons. She tries to play 2-3 times a week. She isn’t afraid to make a swing or equipment change to trim another stroke off her scorecard.

“I spent last year with the GolfTEC people so I was in transition, but I feel like it’s coming together,” she said. “It’s made me more consistent. The video (analysis) is key. You have to see yourself to see if you are changing.”

Her competitors point to her consistency and desire to improve as the reasons Wrigley’s name has nine straight entries on the Connie Guthrie Trophy awarded to the SAWGA champion. Guthrie won a record 16 titles between 1952 and 1978. Wrigley said it was wonderful to meet Guthrie two years ago at an awards banquet when SAWGA celebrated its 50th anniversary.

“I don’t know if any other woman spends as much time on their game,” Skaife said. “She’s trying to learn a draw; that’s not even in my thinking. She’s constantly fine-tuning her swing. She mentioned a few days ago that she’s working on a new chipping form.

“She changed to a belly putter I believe a few years ago. She’s doing all kinds of things to improve her game.”

Wrigley puts in so much time and effort because she has a few items left to achieve on her golf checklist. Her team recently finished as the second alternate in a two-player best ball at Gold Mountain in Bremerton, trying to qualify for a USGA tournament.

Her primary goal is to qualify for the USGA women’s mid-amateur, which is open to players 26 and up with a handicap not exceeding 9.4.

Wrigley’s immediate goal is to prolong her string of SAWGA championships, but she knows the day is coming when someone will end her run.

“I’m challenged every year, any one of a certain number of ladies could win,” Wrigley said. “I really appreciate the competition and I also appreciate SAWGA itself. Not many cities have an organized golf association like we do and a lot of ladies put in a lot of time to organize it.”