Washoe, Nevada (May 31, 2026)–The teams of Emily Byrne-Laura Smith (Overall Gross), Byrne-Smith (Net) and Tracy Smith-Christy Atencio (Senior Net) won titles in the 2026 Women’s Team Series at Washoe. The Nevada Golf Northern Region one-day tournament was held May 31, 2026, at Washoe G.C.–by Bill Bowman
The event featured a Modified Chapman format. Both players teed off. Players then switched balls and played from the location of their partners’ tee shot. The team then selected the best second shot and played an alternate shot format through the rest of the hole.–by Bill Bowman
Gross
Emily Byrne and Laura Smith played the par 5s in two-under-par (two birdies and two pars including a final-hole birdie) en route to posting the best overall gross score in the tournament.
“We had other chances for birdies but for the most part we put ourselves in good positions most of the day,” Byrne said. “We didn’t make any major mistakes, although we both lost a ball…but on different holes.”
She said the seventh hole was a key.
“We were a little rocky at the start (bogey-bogey the first two holes) but birdied No. 7,” Byrne said. “I feel like that’s where we got on track. It made going through the turn a little better. After seven, we thought, ‘OK, we can do this.’ ”
Byrne added the team is newly formed.
“It was our first tournament together,” she said. “Laura helped out at the Silver Cup last year and that’s how we met. And now here we are. We’re both easy-going and like to have fun and we had a lot of fun today.”
She said the team relied on a game-plan and it all worked out.
“The strategy was very interesting,” she said. “You had to decide which approach shot to take and we made a lot of good decisions. We got up and down a lot which was great because we hit such a small amount of greens in regulation.”
Gross
Byrne-L. Smith, 77
T. Smith-Atencio, 79
Reznick-Mimno/Wirshing, 81
Net
Byrne and Smith also were the Net champs as they carded a three-under-par 71 to win the division.
They posted six birdies on the scorecard (four net and two natural) in picking up the victory.
“Neither of us were our best off the tee but we made up for it with good approach shots and our short games,” Byrne said. “We’re both usually better off the tee than we were this weekend.”
Byrne added the word teamwork came into play often.
“We really complemented each other well,” she said. “When one of us wasn’t playing well on a hole, the other one stepped up and carried us.”
Net
Byrne-L. Smith, 71
Banks-Spring, 75
Himphill-Marshall, 77
Senior Net
Sisters Tracy Smith and Christy Atencio started and finished the round hot in winning the Senior Net Division in a scorecard playoff.
The duo had net birdies on the first two holes and also played the final six holes in three-under-par (a net eagle, a net birdie and three pars).
“We really balanced each other out,” Smith said. “Christy’s length helped me. She also got a lot of practice with her three-wood after some of my drives. But we chipped and putted well and that really helped.”
Despite the hot birdie-birdie start, Smith said they quickly ran into trouble.
“We double bogeyed the third hole,” she said. “It’s a short par-3 and neither of us hit the green. In fact, we didn’t hit a par-3 green all day. Luckily, we chipped and putted well.”
The sisters grew up in the area and played a lot of rounds on the Washoe layout.
“We both grew up here and this was our high school course,” Smith said. “Then I moved away for 40 years and came back in 2020.”
Smith said it’s been nice getting on the course with her sister.
“I got her into the game in high school and then she got me back into it when I moved back,” she said. “I didn’t play for about 40 years so it’s been nice to get back into it.”
Senior Net
x-T. Smith-Atencio, 69
Evans-Wharton, 69
Reznick-Mimno/Wirshing, 70
x-Won scorecard playoff. The team was unavailable for a photo.
