Sadie Engelmann claims medalist honors as final 32 players are set for match play
Northfield, Ill. (July 20, 2022) — Sadie Engelmann, Austin, Tex., is the Medalist for the 122nd Women’s Western Amateur. The Stanford junior carded seven birdies in the second round en route to shooting 70-68-138 at Sunset Ridge Country Club. After a steady front nine score of 1-under par 34, Engelmann ran into trouble with a double-bogey on the par 4 tenth hole.
“After 10 I was like, ‘Oh, come on. That's not your game,’” Engelmann said. “I knew how good I was playing and I was like, ‘Okay, well, let's go’ and then on 11 I hit it to about an inch, and that kind of got me started and then I had confidence from then on.”
Engelmann went on to birdie holes 11 through 14 before finishing with a bogey on hole 17 and a birdie on hole 18. It was a successful day for the 2022 Division 1 championship team member despite the constant battle against racing wind gusts, thick rough and slippery greens.
“I wouldn't say my driving was like straight on but I think it was good enough to where I wouldn't have to chip out a lot. I could usually go for the green,” Engelmann said. “I think that's really important out here because once you do chip out, it's not it's not an easy par.”
When asked about her thoughts preparing for match play, Engelmann credited Stanford’s run at the National Championships for providing key experience.
“It kind of taught me how to play matches when they mean a lot, which they almost always do,” Engelmann said. “I think match play has never been my strong suit, but I've definitely gotten better the past few months just because of how much exposure I've had to it. I think that's a huge thing.”
Rianne Malixi, Philippines, finished runner-up to Engelmann after scoring 70-70-140. Wednesday’s leader Emily Lauterbach, Hartland, Wis., placed in a tie for seventh with a score of 69-77-146.
“Everything ran out so much more today. Yesterday, I could hit it behind the pin and spin it back, and today, there were times where I'd be 60 yards in and I'd land it 20 yards short and roll past the pin,” Lauterbach said. “But overall, I played okay. I just got on a little bogey train four holes in a row.”
This year’s advancement to match play had special meaning for Lauterbach after a tough break last year. She missed the match play competition after being eliminated in a playoff with seven players for the final two spots.
2022 WWGA Junior Champion Jessica Mason won the Marion Miley bracelet by having the lowest combined stroke play score between the Women’s Western Junior and Women’s Western Amateur.
She shot 80-83-163 at the Amateur and 73-76-149 at the Junior. Mason’s caddie from the recent Junior win at Prestwick Country Club in June also drove up for her final tournament before she goes to Pomona College in August.
“This award is cool and I am happy that I was able to win it. I’m just grateful that I got the opportunity to win it,” Mason said. “The field is really good. I mean obviously there’s a lot of really great players here, but this is my last tournament before school, so I just wanted to have fun more than anything else.”
After all scores were turned in, a sudden death playoff was needed for the final three spots in match play.
Nine players with a score of 9-over par 151 went on to compete over two extra holes. Sarah Arnold, Geneva, Ill., birdied the first playoff hole to secure her spot. Birdies from Megan Furtney, St. Charles, Ill., and Annabelle Pancake, Zionsville, Ind. punched their tickets to the match play portion of the tournament.
The first groups tee off at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning and the field will be cut down to the Elite Eight by the end of the day.
Two tournaments are held annually, the Amateur Championship has been held without interruption since 1901, not even two world wars and Covid-19 kept the tournament from being played. The Junior Championship was first held in 1920 and has been held annually with the exception of World War II and Covid-19. This year marks the 122nd playing of the Women's Western Amateur Championship at Sunset Ridge Country Club, the previous home to four previous WWGA Championships
1961 Women's Western Junior - Ann Baker
1953 Women's Western Junior - Anne Richardson
1942 Women's Western Amateur - Betty Jameson
1935 Women's Western Open - Opal Hill
Complete scores from the second round can be found here.
Match play begins at 7:30 am