2023 Richmond Women's City Amateur

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June 8, 2023

First-time Champion Assured in City Amateur Title Match

By VIC DORR JR.

Something about the Lakeside Park golf course, quaint, tight and challenging, seems to bring out the unexpected in Richmond Women’s Golf Association City Amateur competitors.  A match that no one anticipated, participants included, will take center stage Friday morning when  Helen Im and Fei Rosebro play for the championship of the RWGA’s 95th city tournament. Im, a 54-year-old native of South Korea, advanced Thursday with a startling 3-and 2 semifinal conquest of 2022 finalist Liza Lewis. Rosebro, a 19-year-old newcomer who attends but does not play golf at the University of Virginia, cruised to a commanding 5-and-4 victory over 2012 champion Joanne Kitusky.

Im laughed when asked if she in any way expected a berth in the championship flight final when play began four days ago.  “Oh, my, no. No. no. no. Not at all,” she said. “There are so many good players out here – players who are so much better than I am. I never, ever, thought I’d be playing in the last match on the last day.”

Rosebro, a former Veritas School standout, is playing after a year’s layoff from competitive golf. Prior to this week, she said, her most recent exposure to serious competition occurred in the 2022 state high school playoffs. “I was just hoping to qualify for the championship flight and maybe win a match or two,” she said. “I pretty much just wanted to come out here and have fun.”

Im played steady, consistent golf in the semifinals. She led for much of the match, but seemed in jeopardy when Lewis crept to 1-down with an up-and-down par at the par-3 12th hole. Im delivered her best shot of the day – and perhaps of the week – soon thereafter. She lashed her second shot at the par-5 14th, a 5-hybrid from 170 yards, onto the green. A few minutes later she sank a four-foot birdie putt for a 2-up lead she would not lose. Even so, she struggled to comprehend her victory over Lewis, a powerful player who, two days ago, eliminated two-time defending champion Kristine Rohrbaugh. Lewis defeated Im in the first round of last year’s tournament. Im went on to win the championship flight consolation crown.

“Liza is so much better than I am,” Im said. “I think maybe it helped that there was no pressure on me – I mean, none at all. I had nothing to lose. I figured I’d just enjoy myself and watch Liza play. Who knows? Maybe that’s why I played as well as I did.”

Rosebro, a Richmond Country Club member, said she relied on “smart golf – just hit the middle of the green and two-putt” – against Kitusky. She won the first hole and never trailed thereafter.

She said her coach, Adam Smith at the Country Club of Virginia, has done much to keep her reasonably sharp during her year away from competition.

“He’s helped me a lot -- especially during the past two weeks when I’ve been back at home,” she said.

Neither player wanted to dwell upon the significance of Friday’s match.

“I don’t even want to think about winning a championship,” Rosebro said. “The only thing I want to think about is going out there (on Friday) and playing good, solid golf.”

Im, from Stonehenge, hopes to maintain the low-key demeanor that served her so well against Lewis. But that might be easier said than done, she said. “Everyone will be watching us. Everyone will be following us,” she said. “I’ll probably be a nervous wreck.”

Fei Rosebro

Helen Im

Helen Im

Fei Rosebro