Briefly: The top two seeds in the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship faced off in the final match. Grace Jin, who began the week with a blistering 8-under par 64 in the stroke play qualifying round went toe-to-toe with the 2^nd seed Emma McMyler. A back-and-forth match saw McMyler make the turn 1 up, but Jin was able to tie the match on the 14^th hole. McMyler regained the lead going 1 up through fifteen holes and held that heading into the 18^th hole on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston before Jin made a clutch par to tie the match.

McMyler composed herself and made birdie on the first hole to win in 19 holes. McMyler has history at the Golf Club of Houston as she also claimed victory in the 101^st Women’s Texas Amateur a mere eleven months ago.

Lucy Nunn made history with her victory in the Mid-Amateur Championship Finals as the first participant to win the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship and Mid-Amateur Championship. Nunn dominated throughout the final match against the 1^st seed Dawn Woodard, making the turn 3 up through nine before winning 5 & 3. Nunn previously won the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship in 2008 at The Clubs of Kingwood Island Course.

In the Amateur Championship First Flight Finals, 2^nd seed Daozeng Liu finished the week off with a victory over Bella Bugg, the 5^th seed, 2 up.

Leaderboard

Amateur Final Match
(2) Ema McMyler def. (1) Grace Jin, 19 holes

Mid-Amateur Final Match
(3) Lucy Nunn def. (1) Dawn Woodard, 5 & 3

Earlier Matches: In the Semifinals of the Amateur Championship, top see Grace Jin continued her rock-solid play as she did throughout the week with a convincing 5 & 4 victory over local product and 12^th seed Bella Flores. Emma McMyler was able to keep pace with Jin as she defeated two-time Women’s Southern Amateur champion Calynne Rosholt, the 3^rd seed, 2 & 1.

The Mid-Amateur Championship Semifinals another top seed, Dawn Woodard, take down the 5^th seed Kelley Nittoli 3 & 2. Lucy Nunn secured her spot in the Finals after a convincing 5 & 4 victory over Meghan Moake, the 7^th seed.

Golf Course: Encompassing over 900 acres, the Golf Club of Houston features 36 holes that weave through a wooded landscape filled with native marshes and waterways. Designed by Jim Hardy and Peter Jacobsen, the Member Course opened in 2002, followed by the Tournament Course designed by Rees Jones, Greg Muirhead and David Toms, which opened in 2005. The Golf Club of Houston has built an impressive championship pedigree in its brief history. For 17 years, the club hosted the PGA Tour’s Houston Open, first played on the Member Course from 2003-2005 and then moved to the Tournament Course from 2006-2019.

For the Women’s Southern Golf Association’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur, the Tournament Course will be set up at approximately 6,230 yards and 5,811 yards, respectively, and play to a par 72. But yardage alone doesn’t tell the story of the challenges that await. The strategic nature of the design means golfers will be constantly forced to think about numerous aspects of their shots both off the tee and into the green, placing a premium on the angle and trajectory. With penalty areas lining the playing corridors on many holes, prudent course management skills will also be essential, especially during head-to-head competition.

General Manager Reese McCall explained why this course will be a great test for match play; “The back nine is set up very well for match play with a great mix of scoring opportunities down the stretch along with some holes that will catch your attention. Hopefully, we have some matches that come down to No. 18, also known as ‘the ball washer.’ The finishing hole on the Tournament Course had consistently been one of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour year after year.”

More Info: For more information on the 2023 Women’s Southern Amateur & Mid-Amateur click here.

 

Amateur Championship Flight – Finals
Emma McMyler (2) def. Grace Jin (1), 19 holes

Amateur Championship Flight – Semifinals
Grace Jin (1) def. Bella Flores (12), 5 & 4
Emma McMyler (2) def. Calynne Rosholt (3), 2 & 1

Mid-Amateur Championship Flight –Finals
Lucy Nunn (3) def. Dawn Woodard (1), 5 & 3 

Mid-Amateur Championship Flight – Semifinals
Dawn Woodard (1) def. Kelley Nittoli (5), 3 & 2
Lucy Nunn (3) def. Meghan Moake (7), 5 & 4

Amateur Championship First Flight – Finals
Daozeng Liu (2) def. Bella Bugg (5), 2up