2022 MGA Women's Amateur Fact Sheet

• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 3
• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 2
• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 1

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The MGA Women’s Amateur Championship
Rochester Golf & Country Club
Rochester, Minn.
July 27-29, 2022

GENERAL INFO/FORMAT – The 2022 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Rochester Golf & Country Club, Wednesday through Friday, July 27-29. The Championship Division will play 54-holes of stroke play for the Patty Berg Memorial Trophy, while the Flighted Divisions (divisions are flighted by USGA Handicap Index) will play 36-holes of stroke play. A tie for the Championship will be broken by a sudden-death playoff.

LIVE SCORING ON THE WEB
Live Scoring will be available on the MGA website at www.mngolf.org

SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE – Follow us for updates, photos, and results
Facebook: Minnesota Golf Association
Twitter Handle: @MNGolfAssn; #MGAAmateur
Instagram: MNGolfAssn

ROCHESTER GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB OFFICIALS - Bob Groettum, President; Kevin Ehlert, General Manager; CJ Meyer, PGA Golf Professional; and JT Hauser, Golf Course Superintendent.

ROCHESTER GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB AND CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF – In 1915, an avid group of golfers leased 100 acres of land from Mayo Clinic doctors E.S. Judd and D.C. Balfour. Harry Turple, a Red Wing Course golf professional, was brought in to lay out a nine-hole course – and the Rochester Golf Club was born. The members desired a more challenging golf course and, as luck would have it, a Mayo Clinic physician married the daughter of noted golf course architect Albert Warren (A.W.) Tillinghast. In 1916, the Rochester Golf Club became incorporated and changed its name to Rochester Golf & Country Club. Construction began on Tillinghast's new course in 1924, and it opened the following summer.

In 2016, under the direction of golf course architect Tom Doak, the acclaimed 18-hole golf course underwent substantial renovations to restore the course to its original A.W. Tillinghast design. Long known for its challenging but playable course and views, the course reopened in 2019 offering members and guests alike new and lasting memories as the story of Rochester Golf & Country Club continues.

Rochester G&CC has held several women’s state championships including four Minnesota Women’s State Amateurs, the predecessor to the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship, in 1952, 1976, 1996 and 2006, in addition to two Minnesota Women’s Match Play championships in 1938 and 1962, with the former being won by World Golf Hall of Fame member and Minneapolis native Patty Berg.

Dropping her birdie chance from 20 feet on the opening hole, Yoemans quickly closed the gap and would take the outright lead by sticking her tee shot at the par-3 fourth inside of five feet and converted her birdie chance to move to 5-under.

Even through nine holes following a birdie by Ledwein at the eighth, Yoemans missed the 10th green with her approach and was unable to save par to fall one behind Ledwein. Getting up-and-down from behind the 13th green helped Yoemans draw even with Ledwein, but Yoemans would stumble at the par-4 15th missing her par putt from eight feet.

Needing a birdie at the 18th, Yoemans’ approach spun back to the front edge where she would chip in for a final-round, 1-under-par 71, and tying Ledwein at 4-under-par 212 after 54 holes of play.

Both Yoemans and Ledwein reached the back edge of the green on the second playoff hole where Yoemans would clinch the championship with a two-putt par.

THE FIELD – The 2021-2022 Class AA Girls’ State High School individual champ, Mallory Belka (Perham Lakeside GC); the 2019 Ms. Minnesota Golf, 2019 MGA Women’s Four-Ball champ and four-time MSHSL all-state selection, now playing at the University of Minnesota, Leah Herzog (Red Wing GC); the 2022 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, Madi Hicks (MN YOC); the 2018-2019 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ and the 2021 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Camille Kuznik (Pioneer Creek GC); the two-time MSHSL Class AAA medalist (2015-2016), 2016 State Junior Girls’ champ, 2018 MGA Women’s Amateur champ, the 2018 and 2022 MGA Women’s Match Play champ, and 2020 MGA Women’s Four-Ball champ, Taylor Ledwein (New Prague GC); the 2020 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Jaycee Rhodes (Highland National GC); the 2021 MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year and 2021 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, Olivia Salonek (Keller GC); the 2018 and 2022 Class AAA High School individual champ, 2019 MGA Women’s Amateur champ, and 2019-2020 MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year, Kathryn VanArragon (MN YOC); the 2021 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Kyra Venne (MN YOC); the 2022 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Lily Vincelli (MN YOC); the 2021 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Emma Welch (Bracket’s Crossing CC); the two-time MSHSL Class AA medalist (2017-2018), 2018 MGA Women’s Match Play champ, 2018 MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year, 2021 MGA Women’s Amateur champ, and golfer at the University of Missouri, Sophia Yoemans (Mississippi National GC).

There are 14 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 +5.8.

The youngest player in this year’s field is Ruby Reding (Hazeltine National GC) at 14 years, 2 month and 7 days.

Championship Flight Course Set up – 6,126 yards, par 36-35--71

Flights’ Course Set up – 5,392 yards, par 36-35--71

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 notice to competitors are available online at https://www.mngolf.org/Tournament/MGA_Womens_Amateur_Championship_6

ABOUT THE MGA
Founded in 1901, the Minnesota Golf Association is the governing body over amateur golf in the state, responsible for administering the Rules of Golf, and committed to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values for all golfers in Minnesota. The MGA conducts 23 major amateur championships and 14 USGA qualifying events each year. Thanks to the support of its member clubs and associate members, and the efforts of its volunteers and staff, the MGA provides a variety of services such as handicapping, course rating and measuring, an online golf news and information resource, mngolf.org, and an official publication, Minnesota Golfer magazine, which benefits all golfers throughout Minnesota.