3 Things to Know: 38th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur

The 38th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship heads to Monterey Peninsula Country Club, a world-class venue that instantly elevates the stature of this year’s competition. Sitting along the iconic Pebble Beach coastline, the club spans 400 acres of coastal forest and is home to two championship courses -- the Dunes and the Shore. The Dunes Course, where this year’s Women’s Mid-Amateur will be played, was originally designed by Seth Raynor and Robert Hunter before a renovation by Rees Jones in 1998.

Monterey Peninsula C.C. has a rich USGA pedigree, having hosted four previous championships, including the 1952 U.S. Girls’ Junior won by future Hall of Famer Mickey Wright, her first of five USGA titles. This year’s championship, however, will be the first USGA event in nearly 50 years. That history, combined with the allure of the setting, helped drive a record number of entries (616) and is sure to captivate fans both on site and across social media throughout championship week.

A Younger Wave of Competitors

The women’s mid-amateur game is getting younger, and the numbers prove it. The average age of the field has steadily dropped from nearly 39 in 2018 to just 34 this year, with 17 players in the field at age 25 -- the highest in recent memory. That shift reflects a growing trend: more women in their mid-20s are not just staying in the game after college, but also remaining active at the highest levels. It brings fresh energy, deeper competition and a new dynamic to a championship once thought to be dominated by more seasoned players.

Case in point, four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi failed to qualify for this year’s championship when she was edged by three 25-year-olds at her Utah qualifying site. A first alternate for the championship, this will be the first time since claiming her first title (2006) that she won’t be a competitor.

This year’s field also is filled with notable names leading the 20-somethings charge. Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran, 26, of Charlotte, N.C., a two-time Curtis Cupper and now a broadcaster for NBC Sports and Golf Channel, is making her debut. She’s joined by defending champion Hana Ryskova, 26, of Czechia, who made history last year as the first player from her country to win a USGA title. Another debut to watch is Brooke Seay, 25, of San Diego, Calif., a two-time NCAA team champion at Stanford whose return to competitive golf after a series of concussions has already produced strong results in 2025, including a win at the Arizona Women’s Amateur.

A Field Rich in Champions and Legends

This year’s championship field is as deep and decorated as any in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur history. Eleven past champions return, joined by six other USGA titleholders and two former USA Curtis Cup players. The competitive sharpness is evident, too: six players teed it up in this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes, with both Doran and Seay advancing to match play.

The field also features some of the game’s most enduring competitors. Martha Leach will be making her 83rd USGA championship appearance and her 35th start in the Women’s Mid-Amateur, while 2002 champion Kathy Hartwiger will be making her 18th appearance in the championship.

Local Flare

It’s not unusual for the host club to feature one of its own. But how about three players in the field with ties to Monterey Peninsula Country Club? Lara Tennant, an Oregon native who has captured three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur titles, headlines the trio. Tennant also has won an R&A Women’s Senior title, along with numerous championships in her home state of Oregon.

Marissa Mar, a former Stanford golfer, has also enjoyed success on the local and national level. She is a past club champion at The Olympic Club, site of this year’s U.S. Amateur, and advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

And while Corinna Rees-Limbocker no longer calls Northern California home – she resides in Cornwall, N.Y. -- the 36-year-old took her first swings on a golf course at MPCC, where her father, Charles, is still a member. Limbocker, who played collegiately at the University of Arkansas, also married her husband, Scott, at MPCC. Her 7-under 66 on the Shore Course remains a female course record.

In 2005, Reese-Limbocker won the California Girls State Junior title on the Dunes Course.

Could another big title be coming her way?