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WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. – Taylor Ledwein, Madison Herzog and Betsy Kelly earned the three qualifying spots at U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifying Wednesday, July 8, at White Bear Yacht Club. Ledwein and Herzog shared medalist honors after each carding a 1-over-par 73, while Kelly claimed the final qualifying position with a 3-over-par 75.
Ledwein, of New Prague, Minn., relied on strong driving throughout the round, saying she was proud of how well she hit the ball off the tee.
“I hit my driver really well,” Ledwein said. “I honestly only missed one fairway, and I hit it really hard all day, so I was lucky to have a little bit shorter into the green.”
Ledwein turned in 1-under-par 35 on the front nine before finishing with a two-over 38 on the back. She said her biggest challenge came with approach shots, but she was encouraged by the way she battled around the greens and improved with the putter.
Herzog, of Fargo, N.D., also finished at 73, using a strong stretch on the par-5s to build momentum. Herzog birdied all three par-5s on the front nine and added another birdie at the 10th hole, after hitting her approach shot inside five feet.
“I think my putting went really well,” Herzog said. “I had a caddie that was able to give me a lot of good lines and reads, and that made a huge difference.”
Herzog said staying upbeat and enjoying the round helped her stay steady throughout the day.
Kelly, of Blaine, Minn., recovered from a difficult start to earn the final qualifying spot. After opening with three consecutive bogeys, Kelly played the back nine in even par, closing with a birdie on the 18th to finish at 75. When asked what she was most proud of from the round, Kelly credited her mental game on the final stretch to being her key to success.
“I started out bogey, bogey, bogey, and I literally almost walked. I wanted to walk off the course… but my mental game helped me to actually not give up.”
Kelly's defining moment came at the final hole, where she knew one last birdie would make all the difference.
“At 18, I knew I needed to birdie it to probably have a chance, and I birdied it,” she shared, “I threw a dart, and I made the putt, and thought 'we have a chance.'”
The three qualifiers advance to the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J., August 29-September 3, 2026.
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