6 and Counting

Kris Franklin reaches double digits for victories in CGA women’s senior majors with record-tying sixth CGA Women’s Senior Amateur title

By Gary Baines

DENVER — Kris Franklin was a stellar player — by CGA championship standards — throughout her 50s. Now she’s 60, and the first victory of this new decade of her life shows she remains a force with which to be reckoned.

The Westminster resident and golfer from The Ranch Country Club made her first notable win as a 60-year-old a memorable one on Tuesday.

By coming out on top at the CGA Women’s Senior Amateur at Foothills Golf Course, Franklin matched the record for number of victories in this championship. She notched No. 6 on Tuesday, joining two other standard-bearers at a half-dozen in the Women’s Senior Am — Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton and Lynn Larson.

“Well, (tying that record) makes me happy,” Franklin said. “You know, it’s kind of fun to see repetitive names on (the trophy) and to have them yours. That makes me happy. You guys figure out all those things; I never even think about them. But it does mean a lot. And it makes it nice because (Eaton and Larson) are great players.”

In fact, this week marks three straight wins in this championship for Franklin, something accomplished just twice previously — by Larson (1996 through ’98) and by Patty Crigler (2002 through ’04). All told, Franklin has captured the Women’s Senior Am title six times in the last nine years as she earned No. 1 in 2018.

Franklin and husband/caddie Brent celebrate Kris’ victory.

Franklin has also won four Women’s Senior Match Plays, giving her a total of 10 women’s CGA senior major titles. Sprinkle in a few other championships, including an open-age Amateur (in 1986, when she was known as Kris Hoos) and a Mid-Amateur, and Franklin’s overall total for CGA/CWGA championships is now up to 14.

Not bad considering the former tour pro returned to high-level competitive amateur golf just eight years ago.

Franklin led after Monday’s opening round, but the woman who this year ended Franklin’s streak of consecutive CGA women’s senior majors at four (by beating her 6 and 5 in the finals of the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play), remained a close pursuer throughout Tuesday’s final 18. Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy, herself a two-time Women’s Senior Amateur champ, was just a stroke behind Franklin through 10 holes on Tuesday. And Hardy birdied the 17th hole from 12 feet to get within two going into the par-5 18th.

Marilyn Hardy, here discussing a shot with husband/caddie Jim, had been looking for a sweep of CGA women’s senior majors in 2026, but settled for second on Tuesday.

Believing she had to make something happen on the final hole to have a chance at the victory, Hardy tried to carry the water that crosses the fairway in front of the green. But her ball finished in the penalty area. Even with a stellar pitch to 2 feet, her par on 18 just matched Franklin, who won by two strokes.

Franklin closed with a 2-over-par 75, leaving her at 3 over for the 36-hole event. Hardy, who was looking to sweep the CGA women’s senior major titles in 2026, carded a second-round 76 to finish at 5 over.

Asked if a 2026 sweep of the senior majors had been on her mind this week, Hardy said, “Sure, yeah. But it’s hard to beat Kris. You just have to be on your game. I just really didn’t have it today. I just was up and down. I’d hit some great shots, then I’d hit some not-so-great shots.”

Kelly Green finished third at Foothills.

Kelly Green of Denver (80-75) ended up in third place at 9 over, while last year’s runner-up, Haejeong Son of Castle Rock (76-80) checked in fourth, at 10 over.

A pivotal point in deciding the champion came on the par-5 11th. Franklin and Hardy came into the hole separated by just one stroke, but Franklin would end up making her only birdie of the day, capitalizing on a very nice approach by sinking a 3-foot putt. Hardy, who had tree trouble off the tee, couldn’t get up and down, missing a 5-foot par attempt. After that two-shot swing, Franklin’s lead would never again dip below two strokes.

“That hurt,” Hardy said of the 11th hole.

Franklin’s lone birdie on Tuesday, on No. 11, led to a pivotal two-stroke swing there.

And though Franklin was far from thrilled with her putting on Tuesday, the fact that she got up and down for par three times in the last five holes was a big factor in preserving her lead.

“That was probably the best part of my game this whole two days,” she said.

Franklin got a late start, golf-wise, this year due to a left shoulder injury as she was largely sidelined from competition from September to mid-May. Since then she finished runner-up (to Hardy) at the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play and tied for a distant second at the CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur. But Tuesday’s victory was certainly a big highlight for 2026.

“I think for just sheer grit, I felt really good because I never got disappointed with a shot out there,” Franklin said. “You know, I wanted them over because I’m starting to hit it so well on the range, but then it doesn’t translate (to the course).” Still, she didn’t let that keep her from scoring well enough for the victory.

Hardy’s drive into the trees on No. 11 led to a bogey that set her back.

While Franklin won the overall CGA Women’s Senior Amateur title on Tuesday, claiming the Masters division, for players 70 and older, was 74-year-old Mary Doyen, who went 79-85. Doyen won the CGA Women’s Amateur championship in 2011.

Among the spectators as the leaders concluded their round on Tuesday was Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Lauren Howe, a one-time winner on the LPGA Tour who now works as an instructor at Foothills Golf Course.

The CGA Women’s Senior Amateur is limited to competitors 50 and older.

Here are the winners of all the flights at the CGA Women’s Senior Amateur at Foothills GC:

CHAMPIONSHIP

Gross

Kris Franklin, Westminster 74-75–149

Net

Haejeong Son, Castle Rock 71-75–146

FIRST

Gross

Lora Fioretti, Berthold 81-80–161

Net

Margaret Stanley-Gonzales, Peyton 71-74–145

SECOND

Gross

Chris Jansen, Lakewood 83-82–165

Net

Heejeong (May) Kim, Aurora 75-71–146

THIRD

Gross

Deb Sturm, Englewood 91-91–182

Net

Sharon Thiel, Thornton 74-74–148

FOURTH

Gross

Nanette Neelan, Lakewood 92-102–194

Net

Holli Doyle, Broomfield 73-78–151

FIFTH

Gross

LaVerne Brookie, Littleton 102-100–202

Net

Dee Martinez, Arvada 75-72–147

MASTERS (70 and Older)

Gross

Mary Doyen, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 79-85–164

Net

Sharon Thiel, Thornton 74-74–148

For all the scores from Foothills Golf Course, CLICK HERE.

A year after finishing runner-up in the CGA Women’s Senior Am, Haejeong Son placed fourth on Tuesday.

About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com