2023 MGA Women's Amateur Fact Sheet

• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 3
• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 2
• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 1

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BAKER NATIONAL GOLF COURSE OFFICIALS – Kent Kloster, Golf Operations Supervisor; Jeff May, Director of Enterprise Operations; Laura Patrick, LPGA Teaching Professional; Kyle Stirn, Golf Maintenance Supervisor; and Andrew Wituszynski, PGA Teaching Professional.

BAKER NATIONAL GOLF COURSE – In the early 1970s, the Hennepin County Park Reserve District (now the Three Rivers Park District), purchased the 9-hole Medina Golf Course in western Hennepin County with the intention of allowing the land to revert to its natural state and be folded into the adjacent Baker Park Reserve. Fortunately for the local golf community, the district board was persuaded to keep the golf course operational. In 1990, the park constructed a new 18-hole 6,800-yard championship layout designed by Kidwell and Hurdzen, of Columbus, Ohio, and a 5,200 square foot clubhouse, by the Kodet Group of Minneapolis.

A decade later, the park board reopened the old par-3 course as the Evergreen Executive Course, now a superlative and challenging par 30 measuring 1,855 yards. Today, both courses and the panoramic driving range encompass 300 acres.

LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP – Entering the final round of the 2022 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship four shots off the lead, Taylor Ledwein fired a tournament-low 3-under 68 at Rochester Golf & Country Club, to come from behind and claim her second win at the event in five seasons.

Ledwein started quickly with a pair of birdies to narrow the deficit and would take the lead for good with two more birdies during her final nine, defeating 36-hole leader Leah Skaar and 2019 champion Kathryn VanArragon by three strokes.

The 2020 MGA Women’s Player of the Year got some help from her putter down the stretch, making critical par saves from five and eight feet, respectively, on consecutive holes beginning at the 14th.

A two-putt par at the last put Ledwein at 3-over 216 to become the first two-time winner of the event since former Michigan State University golfer Sarah Burnham won in 2012 and 2016.

Skaar couldn’t bounce back from her rocky start to the final round, going 5-over through her first five holes.

She battled back into contention by sinking two birdie chances over her next 12 holes, but a bogey at the last would give Skaar a final-round 74 to come up three shots short at 6-over 219.

VanArragon also struggled in the early going during the final round, carding three bogeys over her first six holes to drop to 6-over for the championship.

Back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th holes put her back in contention at 4-over, but a three-putt bogey at the 15th dashed her chances. She would post a final-round 74 to finish tied for second at 219.

THE FIELD – The two-time Class AA Girls' State High School individual champ (2021-2022), Mallory Belka (Perham Lakeside GC); the six-time MGA Women's Player of the Year, three-time Women's Amateur Match Play champ (2010, 2016-2017), and two-time Minnesota Women's State Amateur champ (2009-2010), Olivia Herrick (Dellwood CC); the 2022 Minnesota State Junior Girls' champ, Madi Hicks (MN YOC); the two-time Minnesota State Junior Girls' champ (2018-2019) and 2021 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Camille Kuznik (Pioneer Creek GC); the two-time Class AAA Girls' State High School individual champ (2015-2016), 2016 State Junior Girls' champ, and two-time MGA Women's Amateur champ (2018 and 2022), Taylor Ledwein (New Prague GC); the 2020 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Jaycee Rhodes (Highland National GC); the 2019 MGA Women's Amateur champ, three-time MGA Junior Girls' Player of the Year (2019-2020 and 2022), and 2023 Ms. Minnesota Golf, 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); and the 2021 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Emma Welch (Brackett's Crossing CC).

There are 21 players in the field with "plus" USGA Handicap Indexes (that is, having an index that is better than scratch), with Leah Skaar atop the list at +5.0.

The youngest player in this year's field is Selena Qiao (MN YOC) at 14 years, 11 months and 3 days.

COURSE SET UP – 6,209 yards, par 37-36--73

Course Rating/Slope Rating: 77.7/138

ELIGIBILITY – To enter the MGA 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_7.

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.