By Joan F. Simoneau, Community Reporter
Marlborough – “She is a legend.”? “She's amazing.”? “She's an athlete.”? “She is one of the best golfers I have ever played with.” These are a few of the accolades and comments of admiration made by friends, relatives and members of the Marlborough Country Club as they gathered to honor Fay (Dumas) DeRuvo at a special dedication ceremony recently.
A longtime proclaimed legend at the local club, she was honored for her outstanding record of winning 28 championships since her first win in 1963. The ceremony took place on the new bridge on the 17th fairway. Mark Klotz, club professional, presented a plaque to DeRuvo listing the years she was victorious. As she listened attentively to the complimentary remarks, DeRuvo politely interrupted with “At age 75, I shot 77,” which brought laughter from onlookers.
Klotz emphasized that 17 of the 28 winning years were consecutive – from 1972 to 1989. Also participating in the ceremony was Anne Hopper, a club member and long-time friend.
“Kay was also a champion bowler and archer. She did well at everything she tried. She was a state archery champion for two years,” she said.
Janne Sefter is also a member of the country club.
“When she was 78 years old and competing,” Sefter said, “Fay played a young woman 20 years her junior and won the championship. She was also a member of the WGAM [Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts] and Worcester County Women's Golf Association. She has had a few holes-in-one and won several State and Worcester County championships.”
DeRuvo started playing golf at the age of 15.? She was born in Marlborough in 1925, attended local schools, and in 1950 she married Richard DeRuvo and moved to Hudson, where she lived until she began residing at Whittier Place in Westborough, an assisted living facility. She is now an honorary member of the Marlborough Country Club, where she was a member for 50 years.
Also attending the special event were family members – niece Jane Carlson; nephews Steven and David Adams; and Country Club committee members Marsha Hayward, Amy Buchanan and Carolyn Urban.
The Marlborough Country Club opened in 1922 with an inaugural four-ball match between U.S. Open Champion Francis Ouimet and his partner, Larry Paton, who defeated Ed Childs, of Lexington, and Parker Schofield, of Albermarle, 2 and 1. The club later became one of the inaugural hosts of the PGA Senior Tour, from 1981 through 1983. Senior Tour champions included Don January, Arnold Palmer and Bob Goalby.
The local club has always been a “gold club,” first engaging keen competition in all its club championships and tournaments at all levels of play. The original course was designed by well-known architect Wayne Stiles, and later expanded, in 1970, by New England architect Geoffrey Cornish. In 2010 the clubhouse was renovated.