Mary Ann Bierman, 70, won her 12th CWGA district title in six decades on Friday afternoon at Lake Forest Country Club.
HUDSON, Ohio — Mary Ann Bierman thought she was having a flashback.
Bierman, 70, the grande dame of women's amateur golf in Northeast Ohio, beat Jillian Hollis, 7 and 5, in the 36-hole championship final to win her 12th Cleveland Women's Golf Association district title Friday afternoon at Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson.
Hollis, playing for Westwood Country Club, is the 13-year-old daughter of former Ohio State and Elyria star Sharon (Minnich) Hollis, who has had many classic battles with Bierman over the years. Sharon Hollis won this tournament five times, including a victory over Bierman in 1985 at Oakwood.
Jillian's game may not match her mom's just yet, but the two share a lot of similarities.
"She walks just like her mom," Bierman said, laughing.
With her dad Mike as her caddie, Jillian Hollis bounded down the fairways wearing a bright pink top and hair ribbons like her favorite LPGA player, Paula Creamer.
But Bierman, whose career spans six decades, just was too steady Friday. Her only concession to her age is that she rode in a cart with caddie Kevin Caja, her 20-year-old grandson who is the No. 1 player on the Allegheny College men's team.
"I have won this championship in six decades, starting with the '60s," said Bierman, playing out of Kirtland Country Club this year after many years at Mayfield's Sand Ridge. "I didn't know if I could do it, but that was my goal this year."
Bierman was 4 up after the first 18 holes and 5 up after the first 27. She pushed that to 6 up when Hollis bogeyed the 337-yard par-4 No. 12. Bierman's tee shot on the 153-yard par-3 No. 13 landed just off the green, but she didn't even need to putt it after Hollis ran into major trouble getting out of the front bunker and conceded.
At that point there were hugs all around among the champion and the worthy challenger and her mom.
"I'm so proud of her," Sharon Hollis said of her daughter, who will be an eighth-grader at Rocky River Middle School and is headed to Magnificat High School.
Of Bierman, Hollis said: "She's amazing. I've played two matches with her this summer and I told her my goal next year was to outdrive her."
Bierman refused to predict any rematches with either Hollis, but she had some kind words for the ingenue after Friday's match.
"She told my mom that she may have won, but I didn't lose," a beaming Jillian said.
Other winners Friday included Sharen Bakke of Chagrin Valley Country Club, who beat Barb Summers of Canterbury, 4 and 3, in the first flight; Bonnie Abbey of Shaker Country Club, who beat Mary Anne Kickel of Lake Forest, 3 and 2, in the second flight; Daniella Gallucci of Shaker, who beat Noelle Fazio of The Country Club, 1 up, in the championship consolation; Kelly Pollak of Barrington, who beat Katie Poklar of Shaker Country Club, 2 and 1, in the first flight consolation; and Mary Jones of Lake Forest, who beat Cherie Henn of Lake Forest, 6 and 4, in the second flight consolation.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668