2021 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Fact Sheet

• 2021 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 3
• 2021 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 2
• 2021 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 1

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2021 MGA WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP FACT SHEET
 
The MGA Women’s Amateur Championship
Island View Golf Club – Waconia, Minn., July 26-28, 2021
 
GENERAL INFO/FORMAT – The 2021 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Island View Golf Club, Monday through Wednesday, July 26-28. The Championship Division will play 54-holes of stroke play, while the Flighted Divisions (flights are determined by USGA Handicap Index) will play 36-holes of stroke play. A tie for the Championship will be broken by a hole-by-hole playoff.
 
The MGA Women’s Amateur champion’s name will appear on the Patty Berg Memorial trophy. 
  
LIVE SCORING ON THE WEB – Live Scoring will be available on the MGA web site www.mngolf.org.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE – Follow us for updates, photos, and results Facebook:
Minnesota Golf Association; Twitter Handle: @MNGolfAssn; #MGAWomensAm
Instagram: MNGolfAssn
 
ISLAND VIEW GOLF CLUB OFFICIALS – President Tammy Birlew; Club Manager Allen Cole, PGA Golf Professional Johnny Schwaller; and Golf Course Superintendent Kurt Knox.
 
ISLAND VIEW GOLF CLUB AND CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF – Island View weas founded in 1959 near the shores of Lake Waconia by a handful of Waconia-area golfers. The founders, affectionately known as “The Rock Pickers,” created this golf course on farmland owned by the Lobitz, Peterson, and Schwictenberg families. The original nine-hole layout was fashioned into a challenging track with the help of the then-Interlachen Golf Professional Willie Kidd.
 
Island View founders knew they wanted to become an 18-hole course and optioned land for that purpose. The second nine was added in 1973 and was designed by Island View member George Oftelie. Later updates and improvements were designed by Joel Goldstrand, Garrett Gill, and Kevin Nordby, a golf course architect and member of Island View.
 
Island View has held several notable MGA and Minnesota PGA Section events: the 2013 MGA Mid-Players’ and Senior Players Championships; the 2017 MGA Senior Amateur Championship; the 1997 Minnesota Women’s and Senior Women’s State Match Play Championships; the 1991 and 2010 MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships; and the 1976 and 1983 MGA Junior Amateur Team Championships. On the “open” and professional side of the ledger, Island View has hosted in the 2015 Minnesota Senior State Open; the 2018 MN PGA Section Senior Match Play Championship; and the 2019 MN PGA Section Senior PGA Professional Championship.
 
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP – Entering the final round of the 2020 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship with a four-shot lead, University of Nebraska golfer Kate Smith claimed her second title in four seasons by posting a 1-over-par total of 215 (70-71-74), cruising to a six-shot victory July 29 at Stillwater Country Club.
 
Smith’s cushion never fell below three shots during the final round despite a rough patch before pulling away from the field late, and capping off the championship with a short birdie putt on the last hole to finish at 215, six strokes better than runner-up Sophia Yoemans (and seven shots better than Isabella McCauley and Shelby Busker, who tied for third at 222).
 
With her victory, Smith earned her 14th state championship title and status amongst an elite group of 18 women who’ve claimed multiple Minnesota Women’s State Amateur wins.
 
THE FIELD – Two-time MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champ (2019-2020), and the 2019 MGA Women’s Player of the Year, Jasi Acharya, Interlachen CC; the 2021 MSHSL Class AA Individual champ, Mallory Belka, Perham Lakeside GC; Runner-up at the 2021 MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play, Shelby Busker, Wildflower at Fairhills; two-time Minnesota Women’s State Amateur champ (2009-2010), three-time Women’s Amateur Match Play champ (2010, 2016-2017), and five-time MGA Women’s Player of the Year, Olivia Herrick, Dellwood CC; the 2019 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Leah Herzog, Mississippi National; the 2017 Ms. Minnesota Golf and 2016 MN Girls' Junior PGA champ, Stephanie  Herzog, Mississippi National; the 2021 MN PGA Junior Girls’ Match Play champ, 2019 Twin Cities Junior Girls’ champ, and 2018 MGA Junior Team Girls’ Medalist, Madi Hicks, MN YOC; the 2018 MGA Women’s Amateur and Women’s Amateur Match Play champ, 2016 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, and two-time MSHSL Class AAA Individual champ (2015-2016), Taylor Ledwein, New Prague GC; the 2021 MSHSL Class AAA Individual champ, Reese McCauley, Southview CC; the 2020 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur champ, Adele Peterson, Bearpath G&CC; the 2020 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Jaycee Rhodes, Highland National GC; the 2021 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, Olivia Salonek, MN YOC; the 2018 Twin Cities Junior champ, Aayushi Sarkar, Royal GC; the 2019 MGA Junior Team Girl’s Medalist, Courtney Wedin, Windsong Farm; the 2018 MN PGA Junior Girls’ Match Play champ, Emma Welch, Brackett’s Crossing CC; the 2016 MN PGA Junior Girls’ Match Play champ, Megan Welch, Brackett’s Crossing CC; the 2015 MGA Women's Senior Amateur and 1999 MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champ, Brenda Williams, Windsong Farm; and the 2017 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ,  three-time MSHSL Class AA/AAA Individual champ (2017-2019), and two-time MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year (2017-2018), Sophia Yoemans, Mississippi National.
 
There are 35 players in the field with “plus” USGA Handicap Indexes (that is, having an index that is better than scratch), with Sophia Yoemans atop the list at +4.3.
 
The youngest player in this year’s field is Lauryn Finley (Southview Country Club) at 14 years, 7 months and 14 days. 
 
Championship Flight Course Set up – 6,029 yards, par 36-36--72 
 
Hole #1 – 467 yards, par 5       Hole #10 – 363 yards, par 4
Hole #2 – 335 yards, par 4       Hole #11 – 179 yards, par 3
Hole #3 – 506 yards, par 5       Hole #12 – 317 yards, par 4
Hole #4 – 147 yards, par 3       Hole #13 – 351 yards, par 4
Hole #5 – 358 yards, par 4       Hole #14 – 497 yards, par 5
Hole #6 – 168 yards, par 3       Hole #15 – 337 yards, par 4
Hole #7 – 345 yards, par 4       Hole #16 – 148 yards, par 3
Hole #8 – 357 yards, par 4       Hole #17 – 514 yards, par 5
Hole #9 – 310 yards, par 4       Hole #18 – 330 yards, par 4 
Out           2,993 yards   36       In               3,036 yards   36
 
Course and Slope Rating:       75.1/135
 
Flights’ Course Set up – 5,320 yards, par 36-35--71 
 
Hole #1 – 457 yards, par 5       Hole #10 – 343 yards, par 4
Hole #2 – 306 yards, par 4       Hole #11 – 160 yards, par 3
Hole #3 – 487 yards, par 5       Hole #12 – 303 yards, par 4
Hole #4 – 147 yards, par 3       Hole #13 – 310 yards, par 4
Hole #5 – 291 yards, par 4       Hole #14 – 416 yards, par 5
Hole #6 – 138 yards, par 3       Hole #15 – 298 yards, par 4
Hole #7 – 290 yards, par 4       Hole #16 – 130 yards, par 3
Hole #8 – 319 yards, par 4       Hole #17 – 335 yards, par 4
Hole #9 – 310 yards, par 4       Hole #18 – 280 yards, par 4 
Out           2,745 yards   36      In               2,575 yards   35
 
Course and Slope Rating:       71.1/125
 
ELIGIBILITY – To enter the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship, a player must be an associate member of an MGA club.  
 
PAIRINGS/NOTICE TO COMPETITORS
Complete pairings and the Terms of Competition are available online at
https://www.mngolf.org/Tournament/MGA_Womens_Amateur_Championship_4.
 
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