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LaCoste, Engelsted have found winning formula at 43rd annual CCNB Women's Fourball

Laurie Los Lee, Standard-Times
·5 min read

DARTMOUTH — Diane LaCoste has been playing golf since 1990.

She can’t remember exactly how many CCNB Women’s Fourball Invitationals she’s played in since then, but she made her only appearance in the finals with Isabelle Engelsted in 2017.

The pair are teaming up for a second time this year and punched their ticket to the semifinals of the 43rd annual Country Club of New Bedford Fourball on Wednesday with a 2 & 1 win over Jillian Blanchard and Jillian Grolley.

Isabelle Engelsted tracks her putt on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Isabelle Engelsted tracks her putt on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

“It’s always a pleasure playing with her,” said LaCoste, the CCNB Fourball Chairwoman. “I asked her back this year. I was lucky enough to have her play with me again.

“I love playing with her because her attitude on the golf course is fantastic. She doesn’t get upset and if she does, she doesn’t show it.”

A recent job change between consulting firms created an opening for Engelsted this week.

Diane LaCoste lines up her putt on 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Diane LaCoste lines up her putt on 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

SECOND ROUND: Huidekoper, Meeker knock off defending CCNB Fourball champions

“Five years ago we made it to the final and lost on 18,” Engelsted said. “I’ve been working so I haven’t taken the full week off since then. This year I left my past job and I’ll be starting my next job in two weeks so the timing worked out that I was off for the week so we decided to give it another go.”

Engelsted and LaCoste met several years ago through golf.

Diane LaCoste tracks her shot at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Diane LaCoste tracks her shot at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

“She used to belong to the Bay Club out of Mattapoisett and that’s where I play out of so we got to know each other there,” Engelsted said.

Engelsted said that both her and LaCoste take a carefree approach to the Fourball.

FIRST ROUND: Tillett, Grunkemeyer team up to win on 19th hole of CCNB Women's Fourball

“We take it one hole and one match at a time,” she said. “She has such a great attitude that you know there’s all these different brackets so if you win great, you get to stay in this one, but if you don’t you get to try in the next bracket.”

Isabelle Engelsted, Jillian Grolley and Jillian Blanchard are all smiles on the course at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Isabelle Engelsted, Jillian Grolley and Jillian Blanchard are all smiles on the course at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

This year, Engelsted’s mother, Mimi Coolidge, is playing in the Fourball for the first time.

“This is her first year doing the tournament,” said Englested, noting that she’s come down from Cambridge to stay with her mother in Marion for the week. “For my mom, her partner is new so for them, they want to participate and get to know it and potentially play again in the future.”

Isabelle Engelsted uses an iron from the fairway on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Isabelle Engelsted uses an iron from the fairway on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

Golf is something Englested and her mother, Mimi, have shared together in recent years.

“I had always played a little bit as a kid,” Englested said. “My dad was always an enthusiastic golfer and then he passed away when I was 23 and my mom and I started playing a little more after that. He was the one that got us started and I kind of got addicted.”

LaCoste said this is a special week for female golfers across the area.

“It’s a week of golf devoted to women, which you don’t see too much,” she said. “I have to give credit to the Country Club of New Bedford for doing that. It’s really big to have five days for women’s golf set aside. We all appreciate what the country club has done for us.”

Diane LaCoste lines up her putt on the green on hole 12 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Diane LaCoste lines up her putt on the green on hole 12 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

LaCoste also credited the course’s outstanding conditions this week to the efforts of Golf Course Superintendent Neil Wendell.

BACK TO THE SEMIFINALS

Carla Fitzgerald and Chris Cochis are playing with each other for the second straight year and are making their second trip to the semifinals. They lost to eventual champions, Nicki Demakis and Julie Shaw, in the 2021 semifinals.

“It’s hard. It’s really hard to get back again,” said Cochis. “I have a great partner. Carla is so easy going and she plays so steady. She played phenomenal golf today. We work really well together and we help each other. If somebody is out of the hole, the other one seems to pick it up.”

Jillian Grolley looks at her approach on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Jillian Grolley looks at her approach on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

Fitzgerald, a CCNB member, and Cochis were even with Bethany Mello and Linda Bodenmann through nine. The turning point of the match were the 12th and 13th holes when they made par and birdie on back-to-back holes en route to a 3 & 2 win.

“Everyone wants to win,” said Fitzgerald, who won the Fourball in 2016 with Demakis. “We all know each other and we all know each other’s level of play. You just have to try to win each hole.”

Cochis added, “We had a great match with Linda and Bethany. They both played great. We were down early in the match on the front side and we were grinding. We had a tough matchup yesterday too.”

Jillian Blanchard takes the putt on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Jillian Blanchard takes the putt on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

Cochis said she enjoys competing in the Fourball.

“It feels great,” she said. “It feels great to come home. I’m originally from Massachusetts, but I live in North Carolina now so it’s kind of fun.

“I’m retired now so I’ve been up now for about four weeks. I spend time on Cape Cod and Massachusetts main. I look forward to this event. I’m fortunate that Carla decided to ask me last year and again this year.”

Isabelle Engelsted drives from the tee on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.
Isabelle Engelsted drives from the tee on hole 13 at the CCNB Women's Fourball Tournament.

CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS

Carla Fitzgerald-Chris Cochis def. Bethany Mello-Linda Bodenmann, 3 & 2

Diane Lacoste-Isabelle Engelsted def. Jillian Blanchard-Jillian Grolley, 2 & 1

Sue Sylvia-Chris Torpey def. Kim Walecka-Denise Belanger, 1 up

Beppie Huidekoper-Kathleen Meeker def. Pat Aube-Tracy Botelho, 5 & 4

SEMIFINAL TEE TIMES

First Tee

Lacoste-Engelsted vs. Fitzgerald-Cochis, 9:20 a.m. 

Huidekoper-Meeker vs. Sylvia-Torpey, 9:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Quarterfinals of the 43rd annual CCNB Women's Fourball