The Dawn of a New Champion: Woodard Claims U.S. Senior Women’s Am

Good things come to those who wait. After decades of playing in USGA championships, Dawn Woodard’s quest for a USGA title is finally over. 

Playing in her 35th USGA championship and falling short in the quarterfinals of last year's U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, the Greenville, S.C., native broke through on Thursday afternoon, erasing a late deficit to defeat Australia’s Sue Wooster on the 20th hole of the 18-hole championship finale.  
 
"Someone needs to pinch me, it’s pretty special,” said Woodard. “It was a hard golf course… Really just knowing if I keep giving myself opportunities, I still have a chance. More than anything, I think it's just never giving up on myself this week.” 

Sue Wooster, 63, will have to wait another year to capture her illustrious first U.S. Senior Women’s title. This week was the Aussie’s 12th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur appearance and her fourth time coming up shy in the final match. 

“I was just so grateful to have made another final,” said the 2025 Arizona Women’s Senior Amateur champion. “I said to myself, ‘win or lose, so be it.’ It kind of wasn't like that when I lost. I was very emotional. I've been emotional all of my four losses.The pressure is just so intense that there's just this big buildup and then you just release it. You're delighted if you win and the opposite if you lose, but I'll get over it quickly.”

After her dramatic 19-hole semifinal win over 2023 champion Sarah Gallagher, Wooster struck first on the second hole of the championship match, before Woodard evened the score with her first birdie of the day on the par-4 third. The Aussie won the next two holes to build an early 2-up lead. After tying the next three holes, Woodard slimmed the margin with a birdie on the par 5th ninth. 

The momentum continued to flip back-and-forth on the back nine, with Wooster regaining her two-up lead on the par-4 10th, before Woodard answered back by winning the next two holes, featuring a clutch par on No. 12 to tie the match. 

A par on No. 13 from Wooster would level the match going into the infamous par 3-5-5-3 final stretch of the Cascades Course at The Omni Homestead Resort that has swung matches all week.

A costly bogey from Wooster on the par-5 16th would once again square the match, before the duo halved the 17th, bringing the match to the final regulation hole. Woodard’s tee shot on the 170-yard par-3 went over the green into the rough, while Wooster landed her shot 15 feet from the hole. After Wooster calmly two-putted for par, Woodard was left with a seven-footer to tie, burying her par putt to extend the match into a playoff hole. 

After tying the first playoff hole, Woodard found the fairway with her tee shot on the par-5 20th hole, laying up and two-putting for par. Wooster came up short with her approach shot, and was faced with a must-have up-and-down from the rough, missing her 15 footer to extend the match, crowning Woodard as champion. 

A surprise visit from husband, Jason Woodard, who drove all night from South Carolina, added a special touch to the victory. Support also poured in from back home for Woodard from their three daughters, Ashley (27), Sam (25), and Caitlin (22), 

“He was supposed to be going to Chicago for work, but I’m happy he’s here.” said Woodard.

In just her second U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur appearance, the quest is over for 51-year-old Woodard, as she lifted the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur trophy Thursday afternoon, cementing her place in USGA history.

What the Champion Receives

• A gold medal
  
  
• Custody of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Trophy for one year
  
  
• A 10-year exemption into the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
  
  
• An exemption into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., and the 2027 U.S. Women's Amateur at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2). 
  
  
• Two-year exemptions into the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (2026 and 2027) and U.S. Senior Women’s Open (2026 and 2027)  

Notable

• Next year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be held at Portland (Ore.) Golf Club, from Sept. 26 – Oct. 3
  
  
• Runner-up Sue Wooster is exempt into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. She also received a silver medal.
  
  
• On the bag for Woodard was Cissye Gallagher of Greenwood, Miss., who competed in this year’s championship and was defeated 2 and 1 by Lisa McGill in the Round of 64. She is the wife of Golf Channel analyst Jim Gallagher Jr.
  
  
• Since the match-play era began in 1997, this is the fourth time in U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur history the final match went beyond the 18th hole.
  
  
• Thursday's final was the longest since Anna Shultz’s 20-hole victory over Robyn Puckett in 2007 at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort (Meadows Course).

Quotable

“It's pretty special. When I got here and played the first practice round, I loved the golf course. From the time we [husband Jason] were married, we've got great friends up in Highlands, North Carolina, so we've gone up there every summer. We play a lot of mountain golf. I got here and I kind of felt like it feels a bit like Highlands. It's mountain golf.” - Dawn Woodard on playing at The Omni Homestead

“People look up to me because of my age. I think I do pretty well, and I'd like to think that I can be a good example to senior women golfers to work hard and give it a shot.” - Sue Wooster on being an inspiration to others in the field

“She's worked really hard this year. She's worked on her wedge game, and she's gotten fit. She's just really put in the time and energy to do it. I'm really proud of her. - Cissye Gallagher, Woodard’s caddy, on Dawn’s victory

Last night was a little tougher for sure. It's such a grind. You’re physically just tired. I did wake up last night and your thoughts are racing a little bit here and there, but it's also good. You get a chance to get some of those thoughts out before you even get here this morning. - Dawn Woodard on handling the nerves heading into the championship match