Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2021 - 32

BACK
MGA AM RECAP
2021 MG A WOMEN' S AMA TEU R
MGA Women's Amateur Summary
* BY NICK HUNTER *
Chip-in and Extra Holes Secure
Amateur Championship for
Sophia Yoemans
F
ollowing a pair of runner-up fi nishes
over the past three seasons at the
Minnesota Golf Association Women's
Amateur Championship,
Sophia
Yoemans chipped in for birdie on the fi nal hole
July 28 at Island View Golf Club in Waconia and
survived a two-hole playoff with 2018 champion
Taylor Ledwein for her 10th state victory.
" I've been up there a few times and this one means
a lot, " Yoemans said. " This the biggest tournament
a college player or amateur player can play in
during the summer. I've been so close the past four
years, so it feels good. It was a battle, too. Good
match with Taylor all week and it was a lot of fun. "
Yoemans took the opening-round lead by
shooting a 3-under 69 and would follow
it with a round of 72,
trailing Ledwein
by one stroke entering the fi nal 18 holes.
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 hole inside of fi ve 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 upand-down
from behind the 13th green helped
Yoemans draw even with Ledwein, but Yoemans
would stumble at the par-4 No. 15 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 to shoot a 1-under 71 and tie
Ledwein at 4-under 212 after 54 holes of play.
32
" I had 102 yards to the
pin and didn't hit a good
wedge, " Yoemans said.
" I was in the fringe by
two feet and probably
could've putted it, but
I thought I had a better
chance chipping.
My dad told me not to leave it short
and I went for it. "
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.
" I was just hoping to come in play the
same as I had all week, " Yoemans said of
her slim defi cit to start the fi nal round
Wednesday. " My ball-striking was defi -
nitely the worst today, so that didn't
help. I don't know if that was fatigue or
what, but too many off shots. [I'm] encouraged
by my putting because that's
what I've been working on the most. It's
what I struggled with most in college,
so my coaches will be happy to hear I
putted well for the entire tournament. "
Ledwein, who was searching for her
second win at the championship after
winning in 2018 at White Bear
Yacht Club, let a fi nal-round
lead slip away for a second time,
falling at the 2020 Minnesota Women's
State Open after taking the same one-stroke
lead to the fi nal round at The Jewel Golf Club.
" I played pretty solid and today, I didn't make
SOPHIA
YOEMANS
2021 MGA WOMEN'S AMATEUR
CHAMPION
MINNESOTAGOLFER Fall 2021
mngolf.org
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2021
