38th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur: Inside the Field

WHO’S HERE – Among the 132 golfers in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur field, there are:

Oldest Competitors: Martha Leach (63), Sue Wooster (63)

Youngest Competitors: There are seventeen 25-year-olds in the field. Chen Ching-Tzu is the youngest. She turns 25 on Oct. 1, three days before the championship begins.

Average Age of Field: 34

Field breakdown by age: 

Age 25-29: 61 competitors
Age 30-39: 44 competitors
Age 40-49: 14 competitors
Age 50-59: 9 competitors
Age 60-64: 4 competitors

U.S. States Represented – There are 34 states represented in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur: Arizona (1), California (17), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (4), Georgia (3), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (2), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (3), Maine (1), Maryland (2), Massachusetts (4), Michigan (7), Minnesota (3), Nebraska (1), Nevada (2), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New York (8), North Carolina (6), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (3), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (5), Texas (10), Utah (1), Virginia (6), Washington (1), Wisconsin (2)

International – There are 14 countries represented in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur: Australia (4), Canada (5), Chinese Taipei (1), Czechia (2), Ecuador (1), France (2), Guatemala (1), Mexico (1), New Zealand (1), Northern Ireland (1), People’s Republic of China (1), Sweden (1), Thailand (1), United States (109)

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champions (11): Blakesly Brock (2021), Krissy Carman (2022), Kelsey Chugg (2017), Kimberly Dinh (2023), Lauren Greenlief (2015), Kathy Hartwiger (2002), Shannon Johnson (2018), Ina Kim-Schaad (2019), Martha Leach (2009), Julia Potter-Bobb (2013, 2016), Hana Ryskova (2024)

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champions (6): Sarah Gallagher (2023), Nadene Gole (2024), Judith Kyrinis (2017), Shelly Stouffer (2022), Lara Tennant (2018, 2019, 2021), Dawn Woodard (2025)

USGA Runners-up (8): Kelsey Chugg (2018 & 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Shannon Johnson (2016 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Ina Kim-Schaad (2000 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Judith Kyrinis (2014 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Martha Leach (2011 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Julia Potter-Bobb (2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Shelly Stouffer (2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Sue Wooster (2018, 2019, 2022, 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur)

USA Curtis Cup Team Members (2): Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran (2021, 2022), Stephanie Kono (2010)

Most U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Appearances (2025 Included): Martha Leach (35), Dawn Woodard (22), Kathy Hartwiger (18)

Players from California (17): Holly Bare (Clovis), Lydia Choi (Beverly Hills), Lauren Gebauer (Orinda), Shelly Haywood (Laguna Woods), Catherine Kim (Palo Alto), Sienna Lyford (Roseville), Marissa Mar (San Francisco), Rachael Mcmahan (Carlsbad), Michelle Park (Los Angeles), Jennifer Peng (San Diego), Elizabeth Scholtes (Alameda), Brooke Seay (San Diego), Jennifer Serbin (Boulder Creek), Lara Tennant (Monterey), Jennifer Wang (Menlo Park), Kelly Wilson (El Dorado Hills), Katherine Zhu (San Jose)

Played in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur (6): Kimberly Dinh (MC), Emilia Migliaccio Doran (R32), Sarah Gallaher (MC), Brooke Seay (R64) Skylar Sload (MC), Shelly Stouffer (MC)

Played in the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Open (10): Dawn Woodard (MC), Sarah Gallagher (MC), Tara Joy-Connelly (MC), Shelly Stouffer (MC), Nadene Gole (T46), Shelly Haywood (MC), Lara Tennant (T18), Kathy Hartwiger (MC), Judith Kyrinis (MC), Martha Leach (MC)

Sisters in the Field: Sarah and Jessica Spicer

PLAYER NOTES

Laura Bavaird, 39, of Trenton, Mich., is coming off a 10-stroke victory at the Golf Association of Michigan Women’s Mid-Amateur in June, her first win since regaining her amateur status in 2022. During her professional career, she won the 2010 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship and competed in the 2011 Canadian Women’s Open. The former Western Michigan University standout and two-time GAM Women’s Amateur champion now serves as the GAM Foundation Director, focusing on making golf affordable and accessible to the state.

Taya Battistella, 45, of Bellingham, Wash., earned her way into the field by shooting even-par 72 in her Woodburn, Ore., qualifier. After playting at at Portland State University, Battistella competed as a professional around the world on the Futures (now Epson) and Canadian Tours, winning the 2004 Beijing Open and two Canadian Tour events. She then went back to school to receive her doctorate in physical therapy, before returning to the competitive game when she regained her amateur status in 2022. Since then, she has won the 2024 Washington State Women’s Mid-Amateur, finished tied for fourth in the 2024 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and made match play at both the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the 2025 Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur. She serves as an assistant golf coach at Western Washington University.

Kim Benedict, 44, of Bonita Springs, Fla., is playing in her seventh U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur after carding a 2-over 74 in the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., qualifier. A three-time Michigan Women’s Amateur champion, Benedict played collegiately at the University of Michigan where she led the team in scoring average for four consecutive years, had 24 top-20 finishes and helped the Wolverines make their first NCAA Championship appearance in 2001. Today, she serves as a teacher and boys golf coach at Gulf Coast High School, earning the 2017 Florida Boys Golf Coach of the Year award by leading her team to the first state championship in Collier County history. Benedict has guided several of her players to Division I programs, including 2024 U.S. Amateur runner-up Noah Kent. She also won the 2021 Florida Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Elayna Bowser, 28, of Dearborn, Mich., is coming off a runner-up finish in the Michigan Women’s Amateur in July. After playing collegiate golf at Loyola University in Chicago, she tried the professional game for four years before regaining amateur status in 2024. Upon returning to the amateur game, she won the 2024 Golf Association of Michigan Women’s Mid-Amateur, advanced to the Round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur and was named the GAM Women’s Player of the Year. The Bowser family is rooted in golf as her father Brett (2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur) and brother Evan (2012-14, 2016 U.S. Amateur) have both competed in USGA championships. Elayna was on the bag for her brother during his appearance in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, in Louisville, Ky. She now balances time on the course with her job as a real estate agent. 

Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran, 26, of Charlotte, N.C., is an on-course reporter for NBC Sports, Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live, and a radio host for Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio. During the 2025 season, she served as the play-by-play radio announcer at The Masters and the U.S. Open (called J.J. Spaun’s clinching putt on the 72nd hole at Oakmont), and as an on-course reporter at the PGA Championship. The Wake Forest graduate and four-time All-American helped the Deamon Deacons win the 2023 NCAA Team Championship, the first for the women’s program. Doran qualified for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links where she doubled as a broadcaster for NBC’s featured group coverage. She then did the same in this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes, where she defeated Reagan Zibilski in 20 holes in the Round of 64 before going back out on the course for an afternoon match to call the action for Golf Channel. Doran has represented the USA in two Curtis Cup Matches (2021, 2022), won the 2022 North & South Women’s Amateur and was runner-up in the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, losing in a playoff. This will be her first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. Her mom, Ulrika, played college golf at Arizona with future Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam.

Gabrielle Herzig, 26, of New York, N.Y., serves as a golf staff writer for The Athletic and played her way into the field by shooting even-par 72 to share medalist honors at the Alpine, N.J., qualifier. While playing at Division III Pomona College in Southern California, Herzig worked for Fox Sports as a runner during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and 2018 Curtis Cup Match, revealing her passion for sports media. From there, she spent time with NBC Sports, Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated before joining The Athletic in 2024 where she now covers the biggest events in golf. This will be Herzig’s USGA championship debut. Earlier this year, her brother Robbie earned medalist honors and advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying, and Gabby caddied at the Canoe Brook final qualifier, in Summit, N.J.

Stephanie Kono, 35, of Jupiter, Fla., was a decorated amateur before turning pro in 2011. The former UCLA Bruin was a three-time First-Team All-American, recorded four individual collegiate victories, helped UCLA win the 2011 NCAA Championship and was a member of the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team. By her senior season, she had already competed in 22 USGA championships, including two U.S. Women’s Opens, and had qualified for the LPGA Tour. Her last USGA championship came in the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she defeated future world No. 1 pro Lydia Ko in the Round of 32 at Rhode Island C.C. (lost in quarterfinals). Kono, a two-time USGA semifinalist (2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links), spent time on the Epson Tour and LPGA Tour, however battled constant back injuries that caused her to leave the professional ranks in 2020. Kono posted one professional win on the Epson Tour in French Lick, Ind. She regained her amateur status in 2024 and quickly returned to form, winning the Florida Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship by one stroke. Kono now works as the associate director of Business Development for Voloridge Health.

Corinna Rees-Limbocker, 36, of Monterey, Calif., is returning to her home course for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur after shooting even par during the qualifying round to earn her way into the field. She took her first swings at MPCC as a two-year-old, where her fmaily has long been members. She won the 2005 California Junior Girls State Championship on the Dunes Course, set the women’s course record on the Shore Course with a 7-under 66 and was married at the club in 2013. A former University of Arkansas Razorback, she finished runner-up at the 2010 California Women’s Amateur. She is playing in her third USGA championship.

Hana Ryskova, 26, of Czechia, won the 2024 Women’s Mid-Amateur championship, where she became the first player from Czechia (formerly Czech Republic) to win a USGA championship. Ryskova played college golf at Louisville from 2019-24, earning a bachelor's degree in marketing in 2023 and her MBA in May of 2024. She represented her country in a pair of Women's World Amateur Team Championships in 2014 and 2018. Ryskova also competed in the European Team Championships for five consecutive years (2013-17) and won the Czech Junior Championship in 2014. This will be her third USGA championship after competing in the 2025 Women’s Open at Erin Hills.

Brooke Seay, 25, of San Diego, Calif., recently graduated from Stanford University with a master’s degree in epidemiology and clinical research, and is coming off a win in the 2025 Arizona Women’s Amateur and Round-of-64 appearance in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes. During her time at Stanford, Seay helped the Cardinal win two NCAA Championships (2022, 2024) and was an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection in 2022. Her decorated amateur career also includes low-amateur honors in the 2022 Chevron Championship, three Augusta National Women’s Amateur appearances (2019,2023,2025) and represented the USA in the 2022 Palmer Cup and 2017 Junior Solheim Cup. This will be her 18th USGA championship and first U.S Women’s Mid-Amateur appearance.

Jacqueline Setas, 29, of Nashville, Tenn., is competing in her fifth straight U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur after earning medalist honors and making the quarterfinals during last year’s edition at Brae Country Club, in West Newton, Mass. Setas has made the match play rounds in each of her five Women’s Mid-Amateur starts. A week before the start of her senior season at Michigan State University in 2017, she was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After going through 12 rounds of chemotherapy over six months and 15 consecutive days of radiation, she was deemed cancer-free in 2018. Setas works as a performance media senior consultant for Allstate in Nashville.

Lara Tennant, 57, of Portland, Ore., a member at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, became the first player since Carol Semple Thompson (four from 1999-2002) to win three consecutive U.S. Senior Women's Amateur titles when she defeated seven-time USGA champion Ellen Port,  2 and 1, in the 2021 championship match at The Lakewood Club, in Point Clear, Ala. Tennant, a former University of Arizona golfer, is a five-time Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur champion. She also captured the 2020 and 2024 California Senior Women’s Amateurs, and the 2019 R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship. She made the first hole-in-one in U.S. Senior Women’s Open history in the inaugural championship at Chicago Golf Club in 2018 on the 163-yard, seventh hole. Tennant won 20 consecutive matches in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur over a four-year stretch before falling in the Round of 16 in 2023. Tennant earned medalist honors in the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Troon Country Club, in Scottsdale, Ariz., and, more recently, was the low amateur in this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open at San Diego Country Club.

Tara Watt, 42, of Manchester, N.H., returns to the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur after earning medalist honors at the Laconia, N.H., qualifier. She has been the head women’s golf coach at St. Anselm College, in Manchester, N.H., since 2022, and is an active member of the New Hampshire Golf Association’s Board of Directors. She also is a two-time NHWGA State Champion and was named NHWGA Player of the Year in 2021.

Katie Woodruff, 32, of Ooltewah, Tenn., is making her USGA championship debut. She previously served as an assistant golf coach at Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California. Woodruff played at the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida and the University of Louisville. Her husband, Blaine, is the head men’s golf coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga and has competed in two U.S. Amateurs.