As the northern Virginian discovered, a player can never have too much familiarity with the slopes and subtle undulations that comprise the rolling topography at The Homestead’s  Old Course, the site of this week’s championship.

DiVall seemingly relied on every bit of her background knowledge in scoring a 2-up victory over Portsmouth’s Cindy Morris in Friday’s deciding match.

It wasn’t as though DiVall (pictured right) needed a refresher on handling the layout’s intricacies or, for that matter, a primer in managing the finals’ stage. After all, she was making her third finals’ appearance in the past four years and collected her third triumph in the championship, adding to her victories in 2003 and 2007.

Talk about playing right to the finals script: all told, DiVall played bogey-free and hit all but one green in regulation. A great start was a part of the winning formula too; DiVall won three of four holes from Nos. 2-5, playing that stretch in one under par to build a 3-up advantage and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.

DiVall played 37 holes in registering two victories in quarterfinal and semifinal round matches on Thursday. Even with the wins, success in the final meant a slight change of plan.

“I was convinced that I was too focused on playing my opponents [on Thursday] and [Friday], I concentrated on playing the golf course,” DiVall said. “I thought to myself, ‘Play your game, focus on the target, execute and hit the shot you need to hit’ and I did that pretty well today.”

That’s for sure. Steady throughout the encounter, DiVall had 15 straight pars to close the match and was never really in danger of making a bogey.

“I felt that I was able to put pressure on her by hitting fairways and greens,” DiVall said. “Cindy is a very tough competitor and I was very fortunate to get off to a good start.”

So fed up with her putting over the past month or so, DiVall changed putters and altered her routine on the greens about three weeks ago. Even headed into the championship, she eschewed the longtime notion of not getting a tip before a big event, taking a long game lesson from Ron Millner, a teaching professional at DiVall’s home club, Mount Vernon Country Club in Alexandria.   

DiVall admits that a set-up change, a new approach on the greens and some comforting words from close friend Nancy Duncan and caddie Boodie McGurn, twice a winner of the State Senior Women’s Am, helped carry her to the title.

Ultimately though, the credit belongs to DiVall. On a layout that rewards strategy over stealth, she calmly maneuvered her way around the Old Course, routinely positioning herself off the tee to set up approach shots to the undulating putting surfaces. By now, DiVall can probably tell any resort-goer all about the root system on the greens, going without a three-putt.

“I can’t remember the last time I did that,” DiVall said.

Instead, what she’ll likely long recall is the steely nerve she displayed in the match’s late stages. That’s because in the closing moments, Morris recaptured the stellar play she’s shown all week, converting a pitch-and-putt birdie at the par-5 15th before draining an uphill 12-footer for birdie one hole later to get within a 1-hole down deficit for the first time since the second hole.

But DiVall had a worthy answer at the par-3 finishing hole, striking a crisp 7-iron tee shot to 16 feet right of the cup and two-putted for the title after her opponent’s par chance went awry. DiVall, noting that she was “exhilarated” by the victory took home her first VSGA title since winning last year’s State Senior Women’s Stroke Play.

“My goal was to play to the best of my ability and frankly, this is the best I’ve played for about the past year,” DiVall said. “I was calm and focused. It’s amazing how that works.”

Morris closest match heading into the finals was a 3 and 2 victory in the second round, but couldn’t overcome a three-bogey, two birdie final day performance. Making her second consecutive appearance in the event after becoming age-eligible in 2009, she also fell to DiVall in last year’s final four.

“I birdied [Nos.] 15 and 16 to hang in the match, but Linda played awesome,” Morris said. “You have to make birdies – or at least some birdies, but I’ll be back next year. I made the semifinals last year, so maybe it gets a little better each year.”

DiVall became the event’s first three-time champion since Peggy Woodard – Morris’s caddie in the championship match – finished off her record five victories in 1998, 2000 and 2002. As far as DiVall is concerned, her triumph came on hallowed ground. 

“It’s such an opportunity to play here. I love to play out here. I mean I just love it,” she said. “It was a terrific week and I’m still very much in shock.” 

The triumph signals something of a first for DiVall, who is in the process of working on coordinating four Senate races and 10 congressional campaigns nationwide.

“This is the first time I’ve won in a political year,” laughed DiVall, who took home President’s Cup Trophy.

HOT SPRINGS –– Results from final day matches at the 53rd VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at The Homestead’s Old Course (5,014 yards, par 36-36—72) on Friday, July 30.

Championship Flight

(11) Linda DiVall (Alexandria) def. (5) Cindy Morris (Portsmouth), 2 up

Championship Consolation

(21) Jackie Baxter (Virginia Beach) def. (22) Marilyn Bussey (Roanoke), 5 and 4

First Flight

(3) Peggy Crowley (Richmond) def. (1) Ann Mennell (Yorktown), 2 and 1

First Flight Consolation

(12) Margaret McMillen (Williamsburg) def. (15) Martha Davidson (Richmond), 5 and 4

Second Flight

(2) Kailynn Sprinkle (Salem) def. (4) Linda Mason (Amherst), 3 and 2

Second Flight Consolation

(7) Marcie Moreau (Williamsburg) def. (8) Julie Light (Roanoke), 4 and 2

Third Flight

(2) Helen Ferneyhough (Monroe) def. (5) Marlea Moriarty (Dumfries), 6 and 4

Third Flight Consolation

(7) Kay Rakes (Narrows) def. (12) Joan Sova (Hampton), 2 and 1

Fourth Flight

(7) Susan Troubetzkoy (Weems) def. (5) Mary Slaughter (Charlottesville), 2 and 1

Fourth Flight Consolation

(15) Joan Stauss (Christiansburg) def. (16) Marianne Bedard (Williamsburg), 4 and 3

Fifth Flight

(2) Ellen Hartman (Blacksburg) def. (12) Dawn Weeks (Floyd), 8 and 7

Fifth Flight Consolation

(3) Kay Merryman (Woodbridge) def. (16) Brenda Harmon (Woodlawn), 3 and 1