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How They're Doing: Minnesotans on Pro Tour Money Lists -- April 22
April 22, 2024
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
WACONIA, Minn. – Following a pair of runner-up finishes over the past three seasons at the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship, Sophia Yoemans chipped in for birdie on the final hole Wednesday at Island View Golf Club and survived a two-hole playoff with 2018 champion Taylor Ledwein for her 10th state victory.
Trailing Ledwein by one stroke walking to the 54th hole, Yoemans would chip in to force extra holes and secured her first win since 2019 with a par on the second playoff hole.
“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 Monday by shooting a 3-under 69 and would follow it with a round of 72 Tuesday, trailing Ledwein by one stroke entering Wednesday’s final round.
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 to shoot a 1-under 71 and tie Ledwein at 4-under 212 after 54 holes of play.
“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.”
Yoemans, who will be a junior at the University of Missouri this fall, hit her approach from a fairway bunker to 12 feet on the first playoff hole, narrowly missing her birdie chance, while Ledwein saved par from the right edge.
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 deficit to start the final round Wednesday. “My ball-striking was definitely the worst today, so that didn’t help, I don’t know if that was fatigue or what, but too many off shots.
“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.”
Yoemans burst on to the local golf scene with four victories in 2017, with her first coming at the Class AAA state tournament to finish her sophomore year at Red Wing High School. She claimed the top two junior tournaments in the state—the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and the Minnesota State Girls’ Junior Championship—and concluded her summer season with a win at the Resorters.
The following year, Yoemans entered the state record books by capturing the Class AA individual title as the only golfer to win in two different classes. Yoemans would also successfully defend her title at the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship.
To close out her high school career in 2019, Yoemans led Red Wing to a state team title while winning her third individual championship. She would team up with Trey Fessler to win the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship at Hastings Golf Club for her most recent state victory.
During her first two seasons at Missouri, Yoemans has appeared in seven tournaments with her best finish coming during her freshman season, notching a 12th-place finish at the Mason Rudolph Challenge.
Ledwein, who was searching for her second win at the championship after winning in 2018 at White Bear Yacht Club, let a final-round lead slip away for a second time Wednesday, falling at the 2020 Minnesota Women’s State Open after taking the same one-stroke lead to the final round at The Jewel Golf Club.
“I played pretty solid and today, I didn’t make putts like I did the first day,” Ledwein said after her round Wednesday. “I had a lot birdie putts that went in Monday and today I didn’t have that. I left a few of them a few rolls short, right in the heart. I make a few of those and it changes it.
“I had fun this week—I left a few out there, but overall, I was happy with how I played. My confidence was lacking coming in because I haven’t been playing really well. I came in wanting to put three solid rounds together, and being right there to win builds your confidence quite a bit.”
Ledwein, a recent graduate of Bradley University, notched three top-5 finishes during the 2020 season, winning the 2020 MGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Emma Welch to help Ledwein earn a share of MGA Women’s Player of the Year honors with two-time MGA Women’s Amateur champion Kate Smith.
Entering the week as the youngest player in the field at 14-years-old, Lauryn Finley carded a 78 to begin the championship Monday and followed it with an even par 72 during Tuesday’s second round. She closed out the championship in third place with a final-round 73 Wednesday to finish at 7-over 223.
The Minnesota State Girls’ Junior Championship winner Olivia Salonek fired a 1-over 73 to begin the tournament before shooting a 74 during the second round Tuesday. Playing in the final group Wednesday, Salonek finished with a 77 to place fourth at 8-over 224.
The 2022 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship will be played at Rochester Golf and Country Club.
April 15, 2024
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