Virginia Golfer Jan / Feb 2016 | Page 19

V S The Golfers Of The Year G A 2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS » Shot a two-day 153 to claim the title at the VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship, finishing a stroke clear of Cindy Morris and Boodie McGurn. » Quarterfinalist at the VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. » Won the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association Senior Championship. » Tied for sixth at the Women’s Eastern Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship. Mary Cabriele VSGA SENIOR WOMEN’S GOLFER OF THE YEAR (ages 50 and over) JOSH COATES/VSGA HOME CLUB: Country Club of Fairfax QUICK TIP When Cabriele set out to play competitive amateur golf at the highest level in Virginia, she teamed with CC of Fairfax PGA director of golf Matt Gallagher to help reconstruct her swing. The physical part of Cabriele’s game wasn’t entirely responsible for her win at the VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship, though. A native New Yorker, Cabriele is naturally fast, and that translated at times to her golf game. She has a two-fold mental approach on the course. One, slow down and remember to breathe. Two, have tunnel vision and concentrate on your own game and confidence. “It’s out of your control what other people do. You hear that all the time,” she said. “I’ve been working on what I can do with my game. … The mental part is not just slowing it down, but believing that, you know what, I belong here. It took me a while to realize that. I can play with Boodie vsga.org (McGurn) and Mimi (Hoffman) and Lindsay (Wortham) and Cindy (Morris) and Shelley (Savage). On any given day, they can beat me, and I can beat them.” CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT The second round of the Senior Women’s Stroke Play featured a shotgun start, and Cabriele began her round on T