Georgia Women’s Amateur Championship

94th Georgia Women's Amateur Championship     
Horseshoe Bend Country Club, Roswell
June 30-July 2, 2023

GEORGIA WOMEN'S AMATEUR HEADS TO HORSESHOE BEND FOR FIRST TIME

 

ROSWELL - For the first time in the illustrious history of the Georgia Women's Amateur, the best female amateur players in the Peach State will compete for the Eleanor M. Keeler Memorial Trophy at Horseshoe Bend Country Club.

 

Horseshoe Bend Country Club will provide a great test for players during the week and most recently hosted the 2022 Georgia Junior Championship. Starting this year, there will only be a Championship Division with all competitors playing from the same set of tees.

 

In 2022, Minji Kang of Duluth outlasted Kate Owens of Suwanee in a four-hole playoff to win the 93rd Georgia Women's Amateur Championship at TPC Sugarloaf. The 54-hole championship took place June 27-29, utilizing the Meadows and Pines Courses at the 27-hole facility.

The 22-year-old Kang began the final round two strokes behind Owens, the 36-hole leader. Jenny Bae of Lawrenceville, winner of the 2021 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship, rounded out the final grouping on Wednesday.

Kang took advantage of a struggling Owens on the front nine. She made a birdie on the third hole, a bogey on the sixth and a birdie on the eighth to turn at 1-under on the day. Meanwhile Owens, a two-time winner of the Georgia Top 60 Women's Classic, turned at 5-over. She made birdie on the ninth hole in what would lead to some positive momentum on the back nine.

With the lead now in the hands of Kang, Owens put the pressure on early on the back nine going 4-under over five holes (birdie on 11; eagle on 13, birdie on 14). Over the same stretch of holes Kang made birdie on 13. Kang was ahead by two strokes with two holes left to play. A bogey five on the 17th hole for Kang dipped her advantage to a single stroke with the par 5 18th between her and the finish line.

Kang made birdie on the 18th hole, but not without Owens sinking an eagle putt of her own to tie Kang at the end of regulation. The two competitors returned to the 18th tee to begin a playoff. Matching each others pars and birdies, four extra holes were needed before Kang earned the championship title and would hoist the Eleanor M. Keeler Memorial Trophy.

Format and Schedule
The Georgia Women's Amateur Championship format is 54 holes of individual stroke play.

Eligibility
Entries are open to female amateur golfers who belong to a GSGA Member Club and are residents of Georgia with a maximum handicap index of 10.0.

Event History
The Georgia Women's Amateur Championship began in 1930 as a match play championship with Mrs. W.D. Doak winning the first trophy. Ten Georgia Golf Hall of Famers have captured the championship: Laura Coble, Mary Lena Faulk, Dot Kirby, Martha Kirouac, Ceil MacLaurin, Janet Olp, Hollis Stacy, Eileen Stulb, Louise Suggs and Billie Wickliffe. Stacy and Suggs are both members of the World Golf Hall of Fame as well.  MacLaurin holds the crown for the most victories in championship history with 11 (Match Play: 1952, 1964-1965, 1970; Medal Play: 1965, 1968-1969, 1972-1975), while Coble (1999, 2003-2005, 2007, 2012), Kirby (Match Play: 1933, 1935-1936, 1941; Medal Play: 1952-1953) and Olp (1981, 1983-1985, 1987, 1997) have each won six times.