GENERAL INFO/FORMAT – The 2025 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Medina Golf & Country Club, Monday through Wednesday, July 28-30. Eighty-five competitors will play 54-holes of stroke play for the Patty Berg Memorial Trophy. A tie for the Championship will be broken by a sudden-death playoff.
U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP – The winner of the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship receives an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, August 3-9, 2026, at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.
LIVE SCORING ON THE WEB – Live Scoring will be available on the MGA web site mngolf.org.
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MEDINA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB OFFICIALS – Jim Johnson, General Manager; Mike Mohn, Golf Course Superintendent; and Lance West, Head Golf Professional.
MEDINA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB – The 2025 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship marks the second time the women’s amateur championship has visited Medina Golf & Country Club. In 1994, Nancy (Harris) Blanchard won her sixth state amateur title after posting rounds of 71-72-76—219 to beat Mary Vajert by three strokes. Medina has hosted several MGA championships including the 2013 MGA Amateur Championship won by Sam Matthew. In addition, the golf club has hosted numerous USGA and MGA qualifiers.
Medina was established in 1968 as the Rolling Green Country Club. Membership was predominantly Jewish and formed by a nucleus of members who had departed Superior Country Club in Golden Valley (now the Brookview Golf Course). In 2006, the membership opted to change the name of the club to the Medina Golf & Country Club, reflecting the growing prominence of the affluent community west of the Twin Cities.
The golf course architect is Charles Maddox, who is also credited with designing Brookview, Majestic Oaks (North) and Olympic Hills. The club has seen continual general improvements to the course, including the recontouring of fairways and a redesign of all its bunkers. As the name implies, the layout features modest elevation changes and large, rolling greens that offer a variety of challenging hole locations to test the short game skills of the state’s best amateur players. In addition, Medina is home to The Generations course, a 6-hole par-3 layout with holes ranging from 125 to 175 yards.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP – Overcoming a pair of early bogeys to begin her back nine, Xavier University golfer Emma Welch rolled in a late birdie to pull away from the field at the 2024 Minnesota Golf Association Women's Amateur Championship to claim a three-stroke victory over defending champion Kathryn VanArragon at Minnewaska Golf Club.
A steady Welch carded just 10 bogeys over 54 holes, beginning with a 1-over 73 to open the championship.
Getting off to a strong start helped Welch to a second-round 75 to sit one shot back of the lead with one round to play.
Following a pair of par saves early in the final round, Welch carded her first bogey of the round, missing the fourth green with her approach.
She stepped up and dropped her birdie putt from 30 feet on the ensuing hole, turning in 4-over for the championship and a hold of the outright lead.
Despite back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th, Welch managed a two-stroke lead and would cruise over her final seven holes, helped by a 20-foot putt for par at the 12th and a short birdie at the 16th to post a final round 74, claiming a three-stroke victory at 6-over 222.
A close call for the defending champion Kathryn VanArragon, as the University of St. Thomas sophomore has now claimed five runner-up finishes over the past four seasons.
During her final round, VanArragon was plagued by her putter down the stretch, carding a four-putt double-bogey at the seventh before failing to capitalize on birdie chances over her final five holes. She posted a final-round 77 to tally a 54-hole score of 9-over 225.
Entering the final round as the 36-hole leader one shot clear of Welch and VanArragon, North Dakota State University junior Madi Hicks stumbled early with three bogeys over her first five holes.
The former Chanhassen High School star rolled in her only birdie chance of the round from eight feet at the par-4 fourth, but a pair of late bogeys would remove Hicks from contention as she carded a final-round 80 to finish in third place at 11-over 227.
THE FIELD – The 2023 MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play and 2024 Mixed Amateur Team champ, Hannah Boraas (Alexandria GC); the 2023 MGA Women's Four-Ball champ, Emma Davies (Olympic Hills GC); the 2025 Class AAA Girls’ State High School and Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, and 2025 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Ava Hanneman (Minneapolis GC); the seven-time MGA Women’s Player of the Year, three-time Women’s Amateur Match Play (2010, 2016-2017), four-time MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur (2014-2015, 2018, 2024), and two-time Minnesota Women’s State Amateur champ (2009-2010), Olivia Herrick (Dellwood CC); the 2024 Class AAA Girls’ State High School champ, Carmen Jirele (YOC MN); the 2025 Chaska Invitational champ, Bella Leonhart (YOC MN); the 2024 and 2025 Class A Girls’ State High School champ, Lindsey Lund (YOC MN); the 2024 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, Amelia Morton (Rush Creek GC); the 2023 Class AA Girls' State High School champ, Grace Petzold (Wayzata CC); the 2024 MPGA Junior Public Links champ, Alyssa Raghuveer (The Club at Golden Valley); the 2021 and 2023 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ champ, Olivia Salonek (Keller GC); the 2018 and 2022 Class AAA Girls State High School and 2019 and 2023 MGA Women’s Amateur champ, four-time MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year (2019-2020 and 2022-23) and MGA Women’s Player of the Year (2023), and 2023 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Kathryn VanArragon (MN Golf Community); the 2022 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Lily Vincelli (Brackett’s Crossing CC); the 2024 Class AA Girls’ State High School, 2024 Minnesota Girls Junior PGA, and 2024 Minnesota Junior PGA Players Tour Tournament of Champions champ, Jordana Windhorst-Knudsen (The Jewel GC); and the 2021 Minnesota Junior PGA Players Tour Tournament of Champions champ, Samantha Youngquist (MN Golf Community).
There are 24 players in the field with a “plus” USGA Handicap Index (that is, having an index that is better than scratch), with Kelsi Mauzy, Legends Club, and Olivia Salonek, Keller GC, atop the list at +3.3.
The youngest player in this year’s field is Abigail Olhoff, YOC MN, at 12 years, two months and 17 days.
COURSE SET UP – 6,385 yards, par 36-36--72; Course and Slope Rating: 76.3/132
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 374 | 536 | 363 | 210 | 505 | 342 | 346 | 162 | 335 | 3,173 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 371 | 528 | 354 | 175 | 496 | 376 | 363 | 134 | 415 | 3,212 |
ELIGIBILITY – To enter the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship, a player must be an associate member of the MGA (through membership of an MGA member club) and carry a USGA Handicap Index of 12.0 or lower at the time of entry.
PAIRINGS/NOTICE TO COMPETITORS
Complete pairings and the Terms of Competition are available online HERE.
ABOUT THE MGA
Founded in 1901, the Minnesota Golf Association is the governing body over amateur golf in the state, responsible for administering the Rules of Golf, and committed to upholding and promoting the game of golf and its values for all golfers in Minnesota. The MGA conducts 23 major amateur championships and 15 USGA qualifying events each year. Thanks to the support of its member clubs and associate members, and the efforts of its volunteers and staff, the MGA provides a variety of services such as handicapping, course rating and measuring, an online golf news and information resource, mngolf.org, and an official publication, Minnesota Golfer magazine, which benefits all golfers throughout Minnesota.