COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. – Rolling in her birdie putt from eight feet on the final hole at River Oaks Golf Course Sunday lifted Taylor Ledwein to a round of 4-under 67 to take the early lead at the 2025 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Ledwein turned in a clean scorecard during her opening round Sunday to take a two-stroke lead over two-time Minnesota Women’s State Open champion Betsy Kelly to Monday’s final round, searching for her first state title in three seasons.“Today was about staying confident in myself and my swing,” Ledwein said. “I made quite a few six to eight-footers for par today. I don’t know the last time I had a bogey-free round.”
Ledwein, who qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Monterey Peninsula late last month, carded consecutive pars during her opening nine Sunday before converting her first birdie chance from three feet at the par-4 10th.
Watching her birdie look from 10 feet fall at the 13th, Ledwein moved to 2-under for the championship before taking advantage of the birdie opportunity from two feet at the 17th.
The former New Prague High School and Bradley University standout sank one final birdie from eight feet at the 18th to card a bogey-free 4-under 67 to grab an early two-stroke victory as she moves 18 holes closer to her first victory at the 25-and-over championship.
“Instead of pressure, I’m also looking at it as practice for the big tournament coming up in California,” Ledwein said. “Staying in that mindset of focusing on the things I need to work on and telling myself I’m here to get better, I can stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of myself.”
Owner of 11 state victories and two MGA Women’s Player of the Year honors, Ledwein most recently claimed wins at the MGA Women’s Match Play Championship at Burl Oaks Golf Club and the MGA Women’s Amateur at Rochester Golf and Country Club during the 2022 season.
Kelly, winner of the Minnesota Women’s State Open in 2021 and 2022, shook off an early bogey Monday by drawing even with a birdie at the eighth to turn in even par for the championship.
From the rough at the 10th, Kelly’s approach stopped 15 feet from the hole, and she would convert her second birdie chance of the round before converting a third on the ensuing hole to reach 2-under.
From an awkward bunker shot from 40 yards at the 14th, Kelly’s approach came to rest 20 feet from the cup, and she would drop one final birdie to reach 3-under before a wayward tee shot at the 18th led to her second bogey of the round to put her in the clubhouse two shots back of Ledwein at 2-under 69.
“I started super shaky—I didn’t even know where the ball was going,” Kelly said Sunday after making bogey on her second hole to start the round. “Then I got into a groove and the birdies started dropping. I had three birdies and missed a couple of others.
“I was playing really timid, so I just flipped and tried to make more confident swings. I know the course now, so that’ll be nice. Try to keep the momentum going and if I can play the way I did today with a better start and a better finish, then I’m set.”
Defending champion and four-time winner of the championship, Olivia Herrick, posted a 1-over 72 Sunday and will begin Monday’s final round in third place, five shots off the lead.
Jasi Somrock, winner of five consecutive MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships from 2019 to 2023, will enter the final round Monday in fourth place after her opening-round 75 Sunday.
The final round of the 2025 MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will begin at 8 a.m. Monday at River Oaks Golf Course.