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see also: Ina Kim, View results for U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, Montclair Golf Club
A 23-hole thriller at Monterey Peninsula ends with a champion crowned and a familiar name etched once again in U.S. Women’s Mid-Am
Pebble Beach, Calif. — Six years after her first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur victory, Ina Kim-Schaad proved once again that experience, endurance, and patience are timeless. The 42-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., outlasted Hanley Long in a record-setting, 23-hole thriller at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Dunes Course to win her second national title — and her first on the West Coast.
For Kim-Schaad, it was a storybook finish on a course that felt like home. She and her husband were married just down the road in Carmel, and this week he was on the bag as she battled through six grueling days and 144 holes of golf to earn her place back atop the Mid-Am ranks.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotion,” she said afterward. “To do it here, with my family watching and my husband caddying, it just feels full circle. This championship means so much — I wanted to enjoy every shot and every view along the way.”
The final was the longest in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur history, eclipsing the 22-hole mark set in 1989. It was also one of the most evenly matched duels in recent memory. Kim-Schaad jumped out to an early lead, but Long — a 28-year-old from Clarksville, Tenn., and the 2019 Tennessee Women’s Amateur champion — refused to back down. They traded holes across the middle stretch, matching nerves and shotmaking as coastal winds whipped off the Pacific.
After both bogeyed the 18th, the match rolled into sudden death — and then into history. Long poured in an 18-footer to save par on the second extra hole, extending the duel deep into the afternoon. Finally, on the 23rd hole, Kim-Schaad rolled in her own 18-foot birdie putt to seal the championship and collapse into an embrace with her caddie-husband.
“I knew it would be a war of attrition,” Kim-Schaad said. “You couldn’t attack these pins — it was about staying patient and letting the round come to you. I was ready to play 36 if I had to.”
With the win, Kim-Schaad becomes the sixth player in history to win multiple U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles and the first to do so since Julia Potter-Bobb in 2016. She also becomes the fourth-oldest champion in event history and earns exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at Riviera Country Club, as well as the next 10 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships.
Runner-up Long, who played inspired golf all week with her brother caddying and her mother watching from the gallery, walks away with a silver medal, valuable experience, and a place in next year’s Mid-Am field. “I’m proud of my grit and determination,” she said. “It was a battle all day — I kept my head high and never gave up.”
The victory caps a historic week on the Dunes Course, which saw a record number of entries, the youngest field in event history, and a championship defined by perseverance and coastal drama. As the sun dropped over the Pacific on Thursday evening, Kim-Schaad’s smile said it all — a champion again, and a story written in extra holes.
Pebble Beach, Calif. — The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur field has been narrowed to two after a long day of decisive golf on the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Former champion Ina Kim-Schaad and rising contender Hanley Long advanced through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds Wednesday to earn their spots in Thursday’s 18-hole final.
Kim-Schaad, the 2019 champion from Jupiter, Fla., showed the form and patience that define a major winner. After dispatching Jennifer Wang 3 and 1 in the morning quarterfinals, she outlasted co-medalist Katherine Zhu 2 and 1 in the afternoon to reach her second career U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur final. The 42-year-old mental performance coach played under par for much of the day, relying on steady iron play and a reliable putter as the afternoon breeze swept across the peninsula.
“It’s still pretty unbelievable,” said Kim-Schaad. “I’ve worked really hard this year to get back here, and I’m just grateful I get to play this course one more time.”
Hanley Long, 27, of Clarksville, Tenn., put on a commanding display of consistency and control. She first took down France’s Justine Fournand 5 and 4 in the quarterfinals, then rolled through Shannon Fish-Martin 6 and 4 in the semifinals to secure her first USGA championship final appearance. Long’s round featured a stretch of four straight wins from holes 11 through 14, capped by back-to-back birdies. With her brother caddying and her mother cheering from the gallery, the moment carried special meaning.
“This last year has been so difficult from a family standpoint,” said Long. “So for me to play this well and make it to the end—it’s something that’s brought us all together.”
Thursday’s 18-hole championship match will begin at 8:30 a.m. PST. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at Riviera Country Club and join a select list of multi-time mid-amateur champions.
Both finalists are also exempt into next summer’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.
Semifinalists Katherine Zhu and Shannon Fish-Martin earned bronze medals and exemptions into the next two U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs.
Pebble Beach, Calif. — The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur delivered a full slate of match-play tension on the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The Round of 32 wrapped in the morning with a mix of routs and sudden-death survivors, and the Round of 16 pushed into the evening before play was suspended due to darkness along 17-Mile Drive.
Top seed Katherine Zhu advanced 3 and 2 over Valeria Mendizabal, while Kate Granahan moved on 3 and 1. Former champion Shannon Johnson progressed 3 and 2, and Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran posted one of the day’s most decisive results, 6 and 5. Local favorite Lara Tennant needed 22 holes to edge Jasmeen Somrock. Brooke Seay won 6 and 4, and Sherry Zhong rolled 7 and 5. Several matches went the distance or beyond as the bracket tightened for the afternoon session.
Two matches were still in extra holes or late stages when play was called, including Brooke Seay versus Hanley Long and Shannon Fish-Martin versus Sherry Zhong. Those contests will resume with first light to finalize the quarterfinal bracket.
Play resumes in the morning to finish the Round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals once the bracket is set. With a blend of past champions and first-time contenders through, the Dunes Course continues to reward patience, placement and nerve.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The first day of match play at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur delivered everything expected from Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Dunes Course — wind, nerves, and championship-caliber golf from start to finish. The headline duel came early, as two past champions went head-to-head in a match worthy of the weekend.
2019 champion Ina Kim-Schaad outlasted 2017 winner Kelsey Chugg in a 1-up thriller, grinding out the final holes to advance. Kim-Schaad birdied the par-4 second to take an early edge, but Chugg answered with a mid-round surge, winning three straight holes (Nos. 4–6) and seizing control. From there, the match turned into a battle of resilience — Kim-Schaad clawed back with birdies at 11 and 12, retook the lead at 15, and held firm on 17 before closing out the win on 18.
“You just have to stay patient out here,” Kim-Schaad said afterward. “These greens can make you crazy, but being here with my husband and my parents — I just wanted to enjoy the ride.”
The victory moves Kim-Schaad into the Round of 32, where she’ll face 2021 champion Blakesly Brock, who defeated Grace Choi 2 and 1. Among former winners, only Shannon Johnson joined them in advancing, as Julia Potter-Bobb, Kelsey Chugg, and Kimberly Dinh were eliminated.
MPCC member Lara Tennant thrilled a home crowd of 50 by defeating Dagmar Urbankova in extra holes. The three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion rallied from 1 down on 18 and sealed the match with a par on the first playoff hole — with MPCC club champion Joy Robinson stepping in as caddie for the day.
In one of the day’s most lopsided results, Ching-Tzu Chen — the youngest player in the field at 25 — defeated Dawn Woodard 9 and 7. The margin matched the largest in championship history since 2012. Chen, representing Chinese Taipei, advanced comfortably after Woodard survived a morning playoff to reach the bracket.
Other playoff survivors included Shelly Stouffer, Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner, and Alexandra Vilatte Farret, with Hodgkins-Redner producing one of the day’s biggest upsets — eliminating co-medalist Jessica Spicer 5 and 4. A medalist or co-medalist has now exited in the Round of 64 four of the past five years.
Of the 14 nations represented at the start of the week, 10 remain in match play, including players from Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States.
The championship continues Tuesday with the Round of 32 beginning at 7:30 a.m. PST, followed by the Round of 16 in the afternoon. Admission remains free for spectators along the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — A second day at Monterey Peninsula Country Club reminded the field that beauty here comes with a bite. The Dunes Course, sunlit and windswept, played more than a stroke tougher on Sunday, cutting into early momentum and revealing who could handle the pressure of precision golf on Pebble Beach’s most underrated test.
When it settled, two names sat atop the leaderboard. Katherine Zhu of San Jose and Jessica Spicer of Williamsburg, Va., finished tied at 3-under 141 to share co-medalist honors. Zhu, who blistered the course with a 67 on Saturday, fought through a front-nine stumble before steadying herself on the way in, highlighted by a birdie on the tricky 12th. For Spicer, a 2023 medalist returning to form, the week has been a showcase in patience — and local knowledge, thanks to her new caddie, Monterey Peninsula member Pat Cervelli.
“He just knows where to miss it,” Spicer said with a laugh. “There were a few greens today where his advice saved me a shot, maybe two.”
Close behind, Brooke Seay of San Diego and Ching-Tzu Chen of Chinese Taipei posted 2-under totals, each finding rhythm amid swirling winds. Seay, the former Stanford standout and Arizona Women’s Amateur champion, continued her comeback season after stepping away from competition due to concussions — her 71-71 start proving both resilience and readiness for match play.
Local favorite Marissa Mar (71–75) sits well inside the cut at 2-over, while fellow MPCC member and three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Lara Tennant finished at 9-over, avoiding Monday’s playoff by a single shot. The 12-for-4 playoff at 10-over will determine the final spots in the match-play bracket, which begins Monday morning.
Among the stories inside the number: Corinna Rees-Limbocker, who grew up on these same dunes and was married at MPCC, improved by ten strokes with a clutch Sunday 71 to make the cut on her home course — a moment that drew one of the week’s loudest ovations.
As match play looms, the leaderboard reflects both balance and bite — youth versus experience, coastal precision versus inland grit. “This championship is where golf meets memory,” one volunteer remarked walking down the 18th fairway, “and this course remembers every shot.”
| Pos | Player | R1 | R2 | Total | To Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Katherine Zhu | 67 | 74 | 141 | -3 |
| T1 | Jessica Spicer | 68 | 73 | 141 | -3 |
| T3 | Brooke Seay | 71 | 71 | 142 | -2 |
| T3 | Ching-Tzu Chen | 72 | 70 | 142 | -2 |
| T5 | Courtney Dow-Rowles | 69 | 74 | 143 | -1 |
| T5 | Erica Whitehouse | 69 | 74 | 143 | -1 |
| T7 | Emilia Doran | 75 | 70 | 145 | +1 |
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — On a day when the wind stiffened off Spanish Bay and the greens at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Dunes Course demanded imagination and patience, Katherine Zhu looked utterly at ease. The 25-year-old from San Jose, playing in her first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, fired a sparkling 5-under 67 to seize the first-round lead and send a clear message: this stage feels like home.
For Zhu, the week carries deep familiarity. She grew up playing junior golf events at MPCC and returned this weekend to find not only a familiar course but familiar faces among the staff. “It was just really nostalgic,” she said after her round. “All of that together, I was in a really good headspace.” That mindset translated into four birdies in her first six holes before she cruised home in even par—a round that ranks among the three lowest in championship stroke-play history.
Just a stroke behind is Jessica Spicer, 27, of Williamsburg, Va., who posted a confident 68 while twin sister Sarah Spicer-Baldwin battled one group ahead. It’s familiar territory for Spicer, who shared medalist honors two years ago and is eager for redemption after missing the cut in 2024. “It’s nice to start strong, but the goal is still the same—get to match play and keep going,” she said.
Three players—Courtney Dow-Rowles, Erica Whitehouse, and Sherry Zhong—sit two shots back at 69, each navigating the late-day breeze with steady ball-striking and cautious approach play. The afternoon wave, facing colder, gustier conditions off the Pacific, saw scores rise sharply, reminding competitors that the Dunes can bare its teeth even at a modest 6,093 yards.
The course produced its share of storylines beyond the leaderboard. Monterey Peninsula member Marissa Mar had the honor of striking the championship’s opening tee shot, then delivered an early highlight—holing out from 66 yards for eagle on the par-5 16th. Fellow MPCC product Corinna Rees-Limbocker matched the feat on No. 13, celebrating in front of family and members who watched her grow up on these fairways.
Three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Lara Tennant, also a member at MPCC, battled back from a slow start to finish 3-over 75, while defending champion Hana Ryskova struggled to a 79, leaving her on the outside of the match-play cutline with one round remaining. “It’s a stern test,” Tennant said. “If you miss in the wrong spot, you’re fighting to save bogey.”
Conditions were no gentler later in the day. “It was brutal,” said Shannon Fish-Martin, who carded a 2-under 70, tied for the second-lowest score of the afternoon. “Cold, windy, and demanding. You had to stay patient and pick your spots.”
Among the day’s memorable human stories, Kit Hampel of Buffalo, N.Y., competed while seven months pregnant, with her husband Ty on the bag. She posted 78 and drew smiles from volunteers and players alike, proof of the championship’s enduring spirit.
As the first day closed, the leaderboard reflected both the promise of youth and the patience of experience—the dual heartbeat of mid-amateur golf. Zhu, whose day job in sports-technology keeps her close to the game, summed it up best: “I just reminded myself how lucky I am to be here.”
Players will return Sunday for the second round of stroke play, with the low 64 advancing to match play beginning Monday. If needed, a playoff for the final positions will be held that morning on the Dunes. Admission remains free, and locals are expected to fill the gallery as the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur continues its coastal showcase.
The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur returns to California with a coastal showcase at Monterey Peninsula C.C.’s Dunes Course. A record 616 entries underscore the surge of competitive depth and interest in the women’s mid-amateur game, where a younger wave meets proven champions on one of golf’s most dramatic stages.
Hana Ryskova, who made history in 2024 as the first USGA champion from Czechia, returns to defend her title — aiming to become the first repeat Women’s Mid-Amateur champion in 18 years.
The field’s average age is 34, with 17 competitors age 25 — including the youngest, Chen Ching-Tzu, who turned 25 the week of the championship. Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran and Brooke Seay headline the emerging class.
Eleven past Women’s Mid-Am champions are here — including Kimberly Dinh (2023), Shannon Johnson (2018), Kelsey Chugg (2017), Julia Potter-Bobb (2013, 2016), and 2015 winner Lauren Greenlief — joined by six U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champions led by three-time winner and MPCC member Lara Tennant.
California leads all states with 17 players, and MPCC ties run deep: Tennant is a member; Marissa Mar (San Francisco) and Corinna Rees-Limbocker (Monterey) add true home-course knowledge on the Dunes’ firm-and-fast surfaces.
Former UCLA All-American and Curtis Cupper Stephanie Kono returns to a USGA championship for the first time since 2011 after regaining amateur status in 2024 — a compelling arc from pro tours to the mid-amateur stage.
Holly Bare (Clovis), Lydia Choi (Beverly Hills), Lauren Gebauer (Orinda), Shelly Haywood (Laguna Woods), Catherine Kim (Palo Alto), Sienna Lyford (Roseville), Marissa Mar (San Francisco), Rachael McMahan (Carlsbad), Michelle Park (Los Angeles), Jennifer Peng (San Diego), Elizabeth Scholtes (Alameda), Brooke Seay (San Diego), Jennifer Serbin (Boulder Creek), Lara Tennant (Monterey), Jennifer Wang (Menlo Park), Kelly Wilson (El Dorado Hills), Katherine Zhu (San Jose)
A coastal original shaped by Seth Raynor, Alister MacKenzie, and Robert Hunter, refined by Rees Jones and Tom Fazio, the Dunes Course demands disciplined lines and flight control. The par-3 14th, set across 17-Mile Drive, offers a postcard view with real bite when the breeze turns.
Out (Par 35): 1–9 = 2,942 yards
In (Par 37): 10–18 = 3,151 yards
Total: 6,093 yards / Par 72
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | New York, NY | 700 | ||
| Runner-up | Clarksville, TN | 500 | ||
| Semifinals | San Jose, CA | 400 | ||
| Semifinals | Spring, TX | 400 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Cary, NC | 300 |
The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur originated in 1987 to provide a national competitive arena for amateurs 25 and older. Besides the age restriction, the event is open to those with a USGA Handicap Index of 9.4 or lower. It is one of 14 national championsh...
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