Somrock (Acharya) Medals; Ledwein and Herrick to Join at U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

 COON RAPIDS, Minn. – After being denied in a playoff last season at Medina Golf and Country Club, Jasi Somrock tallied a pair of birdies against three bogeys Friday at Bunker Hills Golf Club to earn medalist honors and a spot in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Somrock, a winner of five consecutive Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Mid-Amateur championships, qualifies for her first USGA event since she advanced to the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in 2014.

"I’m so excited to finally make one of these,” said Somrock, who will travel to Pebble Beach, Calif., to compete at the national championship at Monterey Peninsula Country Club Oct. 4-9. “Getting so close last year, it’s the one I’ve had my eye on the last few years as the one I really wanted to make. I had some expectations—I want to go out and play well and give it the best shot I could.

“This venue is going to be awesome; I can’t wait to get to Monterey.”

The morning got off to an ominous start for Somrock with a neck issue prior to her round early Friday.

“I tweaked my neck really good when I was getting ready, so I had very little range of motion,” she said. “I was in the parking lot stretching and trying to get it loosened up a little bit. The through swing was fine, but it was the backswing where it did not feel good. That was a tough start to the day.”

Following a bogey at the first, Somrock countered by sinking her birdie chance from four feet at the second to draw even for the day, but would turn in 2-over after bogeys at the eighth and ninth holes.

She carded one birdie over her final nine holes Friday, a 15-footer at the par-5 14th, to move to the top of the leaderboard and earn medalist honors at 1-over 73.

“The front nine I hit it pretty nicely and hit a lot of greens, but the back nine my swing kind of came apart and basically had to band-aid everything together,” she said. “Made some really nice up-and-downs. I hit one fairway, and the last few holes I was telling myself to grind it out and make the best swing possible.

“I putted the lights out of my comeback putts. My speed was not great on the greens today, but I made a bunch of putts from five to seven feet.”

Firing a 2-over 74 Friday, Taylor Ledwein punched her ticket to her third consecutive U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, while Olivia Herrick will make her 12th appearance at the championship after carding a 3-over 75 to claim the final qualifying spot to join Somrock in California in early October.

Qualifying once again in her third year of eligibility, a steady Ledwein played bogey-free golf over her first 13 holes with consecutive pars before taking back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th.

Finding her footing over her last three holes, Ledwein finished with consecutive pars to advance by shooting a 74.

“Today was really solid—probably the first time I’ve parred the first 13 holes straight,” said Ledwein, who claimed back-to-back Class AAA individual titles at Bunker Hills her junior and senior seasons at New Prague High School. “Had some birdie looks and just didn’t get it there and burned some edges.

“I knew my game was there, even though I haven’t been making golf my top priority in life. I gave up a lot when I was in high school to play golf, and now I’m doing some of those things.”

The championship in October marks her eighth appearance at a USGA championship since 2014. Ledwein advanced to match play during her first appearance at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am in 2023 at Stonewall in Pennsylvania before reaching the Round of 32 a year ago at Brae Burn Country Club in Massachusetts.

“I think I’ve practiced four of the last six days and just getting into a routine with my swing. It hasn’t been feeling there a lot of the summer,” Ledwein said. “Definitely need to focus on my wedges heading into the tournament.

“I’m just grateful—I’ve had a lot going on in life lately and I’m super pumped to qualify. My only goal this summer was to make it to the U.S. Mid-Am.”

After carding three bogeys over her first seven holes Friday, Herrick heeded advice from her caddie, who doubles as her husband, Bror, suggesting she reset mentally for the remainder of her round.

“It was a great little pep talk from him—he thought I needed to start my round over and change the way I was walking and feeling,” she said.

The result was a birdie on the ensuing hole, sinking a 15-foot bender, before playing her final 10 holes in 1-over, qualifying with a round of 75 to advance to her 12th consecutive U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

“I played pretty well today, a little shaky to start,” Herrick said. “I felt like got on better footing and more confident on the back nine.

“Life has been busy with family, work and friends. Golf has not been my top priority this summer, but it will need to become more of a priority leading up to the championship, but I’m thrilled and so excited to make it.”

Betsy Kelly, of Blaine, Minn., posted a 4-over 76 to finish as first alternate, while Jordan Amelon, Ames, Iowa, survived a one-hole playoff to claim second alternate honors.

The Dunes Course at the 99-year-old Monterey Peninsula Country Club will host its fifth USGA championship in early October, and first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. Most recently, the 1976 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur was played at the club.

The club’s Shore Course hosted the PGA Tour’s AT&T National Pro-Am for more than 30 years before the championship switched to a two-course format.