Looking for Fifth Straight Title, Acharya Shoots 69 to Lead MGA Women's Mid-Amateur

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  WACONIA, Minn. – In the 26 years the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship has been contested, Leigh Klasse is the only player to win five consecutive championships.

Firing a 3-under 69 to open the tournament Tuesday at Island View Golf Club, Jasi Acharya moved one step closer to tying Klasse’s mark, taking a two-stroke lead over two-time MGA Women’s Player of the Year Taylor Ledwein and 2017 champion Paige McCullough to Wednesday’s final round.

“One of those rounds where I kept it in front of me and plotted along,” Acharya said following her round Tuesday. “It wasn’t that exciting, but in the realm of golf—easy.

"I played pretty conservatively and, for the most part, that paid off. A lot of fairways, which you can miss pretty easily out here, so I was happy with that.”

With her home course at Interlachen Country Club undergoing a restoration during the 2023 season, Acharya, a regional sales leader at PXG Golf, and her fiancée, Jeff, spent a majority of their summer in Acharya’s home state of Montana.

Acharya displayed a smooth transition back into competitive golf Tuesday by carding a pair of birdies during her front nine, sinking an 18-footer at the third and a 12-footer from below the hole at the seventh.

Getting up-and-down to save par at the 10th to remain at 2-under, Acharya rolled in a 6-footer for birdie at the 12th before taking her first bogey of the round at the par-4 15th.

She bounced back by taking advantage of the par-5 17th, rolling in one final birdie chance to pace the field with a 3-under 69.

“There are getable holes on both sides—maybe the front a little more,” Acharya said, looking ahead to Wednesday’s final round. “Again, I’ll probably play conservatively off the tee. I want to make sure I can control what I can to give myself enough opportunities throughout the day. That, for sure, means putting the ball in the fairway. It is tough out of the rough and the trees.”

Acharya regained her amateur status during the 2018 season and fell to Olivia Herrick in a playoff at Legends Club in her first appearance at the championship.

She earned a one-stroke victory in a weather-shortened event at Bearpath Golf and Country Club in 2019, before successfully defending her title the following season with a three-stroke victory at Northland Country Club.

In 2021, Acharya got the better of Herrick by five strokes at Hastings Golf Club, and won her fourth consecutive title last season, edging Klasse in a playoff at Indian Hills Golf Club.

Klasse notched six victories at the championship, but won five straight championships beginning in 2004 at Island View.

McCullough, a former Gopher whose last state win came at the 2017 championship at New Prague Golf Club, began her day on the 10th tee Tuesday, carding two early bogeys to slip to 2-over. She would get a stroke back at the par-5 17th with a birdie to turn in 1-over for the championship.

Leaving her eagle putt short at the par-5 first, McCullough tapped in her birdie to pull even before getting up-and-down at the par-5 third to reach 1-under for the round.

Following a bogey at the fifth, McCullough answered by wedging her approach at the eighth inside of four feet for her final birdie of the round to post a 1-under 71, two back of the lead in a share of second.

“I started slow, but hung in there until I started hitting my irons a little better,” McCullough said Tuesday. “I was 2-under on the back and just tried to put myself in a good spot to play well tomorrow. The mentality I have is to always play better than I did yesterday.

“I’m going to be a little more conservative off the tee because we’re playing a little shorter than I’m used to. Take some of the trouble out of play with the tee shots, and try to make some putts.”

Ledwein, who’s making her first appearance at the 25-and-over championship this week, began her round on the 10th tee Tuesday, carding consecutive pars before tallying her first birdie of the round at the 17th to turn in 1-under.

Rolling in her birdie chance two holes later at the first, Ledwein moved to 2-under for the championship, but she took a step back with her only bogey of the round at the fifth.

Posting consecutive pars over her final four holes, Ledwein finished in a share of second, two shots back of the lead.

Herrick, a three-time winner of the championship, fired a 2-over 74 Tuesday and she will begin the final round five shots back of the lead in fourth place.

The 27th MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship concludes Wednesday when the final round gets underway at 9:10 a.m. at Island View Golf Club.