101st VSGA Women's Amateur Championship

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Dates: Tuesday, July 21 - Thursday, July 23

Format: 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying on Tuesday, with the top 16 players advancing the championship flight match play. All others will be placed in consolation flights. Championship flight round of 16 and quarterfinals will be played Wednesday, with the semifinals and 18-hole championship match played on Thursday.

Starting times: Beginning at 8 a.m. each day off No. 1.

Defending champion: Sky Sload

Host site: Roanoke Country Club

USGA Exemption Event: The winner of the VSGA Women's Amateur will earn an exemption into the upcoming U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.

Day 3: Elsie MacCleery wins 101st VSGA Women's Amateur

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(Elsie MacCleery, right, celebrates with younger sister Kennedy after Elsie's 3 and 2 victory in the Women's Amateur final. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

By Chris Lang

ROANOKE -- Call it the summer of MacCleery. A month after Kennedy MacCleery became the first Virginian to win the Women's Open of Virginia, older sister Elsie added her own trophy to the household mantle, upending hometown favorite Kathryn Ha 3 and 2 on Thursday afternoon in a thrilling final match of the 101st VSGA Women's Amateur Championship at Roanoke Country Club.

After struggling much of the day with short-distance putts, Elsie rolled in a downhill 4-footer for par on the par-3 16th hole to clinch the victory, which earned her the USGA's Golden Ticket into the upcoming U.S. Women's Amateur at The Honors Course in Tennessee, MacCleery's first appearance in a USGA championship after many years of trying to qualify.

She'll also have her named inscribed on the Kohler Trophy, the perpetual trophy given to the VSGA Women's Amateur Champion.

"I was talking to my sister earlier, and it's a goal of mine and hers both to win all of them (VSGA championships), so it's kind of cool to check another one off," MacCleery said. "But it's always an honor to win one of these VSGA events."

MacCleery, a past VSGA Junior Girls' champion and VSGA Junior Girls' Golfer of the Year, won her biggest VSGA championship to date and had to beat a formidable opponent to do so. Ha, the top ranked player in the field according to WAGR, had plenty of advantages, including home-course knowledge and a sizeable crowd of members cheering her on.

Both players survived stern semifinal tests to get to the final match. Ha defeated fellow RCC member Alisa Davidova 2-up with a conceded par putt on 18. Moments later, MacCleery drained about a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to claim a 2-up win over Madison Lehr in the other semifinal.

It set up a classic matchup between a Southeastern Conference golfer (Ha, Vanderbilt) and an Atlantic Coast Conference player (MacCleery, Virginia).

Each player had a trusted family member on the bag. Ha's father caddied the final match, and Elsie was joined by Kennedy, who was defeated by Davidova in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

MacCleery won the second hole with a par and went 2-up with a birdie on No. 5, and Ha was never able to tie the match. She pulled within 1 on No. 9 when MacCleery -- riding a surge of adrenaline -- flew her approach shot over the green and out of bounds on the par-4 hole, allowing Ha to win with a simple two-putt par. MacCleery went 2-up again on the par-3 12th, thanks to a spectacular shot that nearly dropped for an ace but instead settled within six inches of the cup. Undaunted, Ha nearly rolled her 25-footer in for birdie to match, but it ended up about six inches short.

Ha won the next hole, but MacCleery rolled in another long birdie on the par-3 14th to go back 2-up again. Even more important, MacCleery made about a 20-footer to save par on 15 to retain her edge going to the final hole.

"I think I kind of just kept the same mentality with every putt," MacCleery said. "I just kind of looked at the back of the cup and tried to get the speed right. I'm grateful those went in."

For Ha, the week remains a success. She rolled through stroke-play qualifying as medalist by five strokes and beat a strong string of competitors in Virginia Tech's Emerson Dever, past U.S. Women's Amateur champion Lauren Greenlief, and rising star Davidova before running into MacCleery. She has plenty of positives to take from the week.

"It was super special," Ha said. "There were a lot of members out that were out here, and my family, and some of my local friends that were here. It all felt really familiar. It meant so much to have their support all week."

NOTABLE

• Consolation flight winners included Caitlyn Baxter (first flight), Addie Doroh (second flight), Isabella Geng (third flight), and Faith Garcia (fourth flight).

• Ha made just two bogeys in the final match, both on par 3s, and both were costly as MacCleery was able to win both holes.
  

• MacCleery did most of her damage in the final on par 3s, finishing with three birdies and two pars on those holes, essentially the difference in the match.

Day 2: Strong semifinal field set at Women's Amateur

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Photos and story by Chris Lang

ROANOKE -- When the championship flight bracket for the 101st VSGA Women's Amateur Championship was set after Tuesday's stroke-play qualifying round, medalist Kathryn Ha had an idea of what was waiting for her should she win her opening match against Emerson Dever -- a date with three-time champion Lauren Greenlief in the quarterfinals.

If this sounds familiar, it's because the exact same scenario unfolded in 2024 at River Bend Club. Ha was stroke-play co-medalist and drew the No. 2 seed. Greenlief shot 3-over and finished in a tie for sixth and drew the No. 7 seed. Greenlief came out on top in a thrilling 22-hole match before winning her third Women's Amateur title.

Fast forward two years. Ha is medalist. Greenlief shoots 3-over in the qualifying round to tie for seventh and draws the No. 8 seed.

"Last night, I could see the projection, but I was trying to stay in the moment, because Emerson is a great competitor," Ha said. "To get far in this event, either way, you're going to have to go against some tough competitors. Lauren and I always see each other in the quarters or the round of 16."

This time, Ha came out on top. Playing on her home course, Ha birdied the first two holes to take a 2-up lead and led the rest of the way, closing out Greenlief 2 and 1 when both players made par on the par-5 17th. 

That sets up a semifinal matchup with fellow Roanoke member Alisa Davidova. Also advancing: No. 2 seed Madison Lehr and No. 6 seed Elsie MacCleery. The semifinals will begin at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, with the winners meeting in the championship match that afternoon.

A look at the semifinalists.

Kathryn Ha (Roanoke Country Club)

• Seed: 1 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 16 Emerson Dever, 6 and 5; def. No. 8 Lauren Greenlief, 2 and 1

• Takeaways: Ha, a sophomore at Vanderbilt, has played the role of heavy favorite on her home course well. After winning medalist honors, she jumped all over Dever in the opening match, going 4-up through six holes and closing the match out with a par on No. 13. The Greenlief match was as advertised. Ha and Greenlief didn't tie a hole until No. 12, and that ended up being a pivotal hole in the match. Greenlief had just cut Ha's lead to 3-up with a par on No. 11 and had about a 5-footer for birdie on the par-3 12th but missed it right. Ha two-putted for par to maintain her lead. Greenlief birdied 13 to slice the lead to 2-up, but the players each made par on the next four holes, allowing Ha to clinch the match.  

• Quoting: "I really feel like I've matured a lot. I think Vanderbilt, the coaches and my coaches here at home as well, we've been refining my short game and tightening some things up. There haven't been many fundamental changes. I've got some new clubs in the bag as well. I think just having access to all of the things Vanderbilt gives us, I couldn't be more grateful." -- Ha on the difference in her game after a year of college golf.

Alisa Davidova (Roanoke Country Club)

• Seed: 4 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 13 Alina Ho, 1 up; def. No. 5 Kennedy MacCleery, 4 and 3

• Takeaways: Davidova, who has re-opened her college recruitment after originally committing to Missouri, showed what she could do against a couple of Virginia Tech Hokies -- current and future. The match against Ho (current Hokie) was tight throughout and went to No. 18 tied before Davidova made a birdie on the closing hole to clinch the match. The second match against Women's Open of Virginia champion Kennedy MacCleery (future Hokie) was similarly competitive, at least on the front nine. The players went to 10 tied after Davidova -- younger sister of past VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion Samir Davidov -- won the opening hole on the back with a bogey. Davidova led 2-up before winning the par-3 14th with a birdie and the par-4 15th with a par to close out the victory. Though both members at Roanoke, Ha and Davidova rarely cross paths, since Ha is entering her second year in college and Davidova still has a year remaining at Lord Botetourt High School.

• Quoting: "These last few rounds, it's definitely been my driver, and my putting has been just good enough. But the strength of my game has been my driver, for sure." -- Davidova

Madison Lehr (USGA/VSGA GC)

• Seed: 2 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 15 Sydney Dinh, 3 and 2; def. No. 7 Madison Rizzo, 1 up

• Takeaways: Lehr, a junior at Longwood, keeps exceeding her own expectations for herself. After tying for second in stroke-play qualifying, she defeated a top junior in Dinh before surviving a back-and-forth battle with Rizzo, who plays at East Carolina. In the battle of the Madisons, neither player held more than a 1-up lead. The pivotal moment came on No. 16 in a tied match, when Lehr -- short and left of the green on the par-3 hole -- bladed a chip that managed to catch the flagstick and speed and drop home for birdie. Rizzo had a solid chance at making birdie to extend the match on 18 but just missed, allowing Lehr to seal the match with a par.

• Quoting: "This is really big. I didn't think I'd be getting this far at all. Finishing second yesterday was such a shock to me, and then just getting through both matches today. I'm really happy with how I'm playing. Playing in college has helped prepare me for this. We play match play a bunch, so this is good." -- Lehr

Elsie MacCleery (Wintergreen Resort)

• Seed: 6 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 11 Alexis Goboy, 6 and 4; def. No. 3 Kiera Bartholomew, 3 and 1

• Takeaways: MacCleery is a past VSGA Junior Girls' champion and past VSGA Junior Girls' golfer of the year. Her game blossomed in her first season at UVA, where she cracked the lineup in 11 of 12 events and shot 67 for the Cavaliers in the Chapel Hill Regional, finishing her first season with a 73.91 scoring average. She last made championship flight match play in 2024, falling to Katie Vu in the first round at River Bend. Against Goboy, MacCleery birdied the opening hole and never trailed, taking a 4-up lead by the turn. The next match was a Cavaliers' intrasquad scrimmage of sorts, with MacCleery again making birdie on the first hole against Bartholomew. The match went back and forth until MacCleery won No. 13 to go 2-up. She closed the match by making birdie on No. 17.

• Quoting: "Today was really fun. I played against two really good players. I hit a lot of greens today, so that definitely helped. My lag putting was really good as well. I had a lot of pars, so it was almost like I was waiting for the other person to mess up. In match play, I tend to stay in my own lane. That seems to be what works best for me. I was just trying to act that I was the only one out there today. That was my mentality today, and I'm glad it worked out." -- MacCleery

Day 1: Home cookin': Ha earns stroke-play medalist honors

(Kathryn Ha and her father walk toward the third fairway on Roanoke CC's Redbud Nine on Tuesday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

ROANOKE -- The role of favorite comes with pressure and responsibility, something Roanoke Country Club member Kathryn Ha experienced first-hand on Tuesday during the stroke-play qualifying round at the 101st VSGA Women's Amateur Championship at her home club.

Unfazed, Ha rolled to a fairly stress-free 4-under par 67 on Tuesday, a round that included five birdies and a bogey, to earn stroke-play medalist honors and the top seed in the 16-player championship flight match-play bracket.

Ha will face Virginia Tech's Emerson Dever in Wednesday's opening match at 8 a.m., and should she advance, a potential matchup with three-time champion Lauren Greenlief awaits in the quarterfinals in the afternoon.

Ha, a sophomore at Vanderbilt and the top-ranked player in the field in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at No. 260, made the turn at 3-under 33 before a poor tee shot on No. 10 (No. 1 on the Dogwood nine) led to her lone bogey of the day. She added another birdie on the par-4 15th and closed her round with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

"I can't lie, it felt like just another day out here, besides the boost of adrenaline and the nerves on the first tee," Ha said. "I think I tried to use that to my benefit. Having my dad as my caddie, having that familiarity, that was great. Overall, the ball striking was pretty good today. I left some birdie putts out there, but if that's the worst part of the day, I'm not complaining."

Longwood's Madison Lehr and UVA's Kiera Bartholomew tied for second at 1-over 72. Lehr drew the No. 2 seed and will open match play against recent U.S. Girls' Junior participant Sydney Dinh. Bartholomew will face Victoria Giang in the round of 16. Roanoke member Alisa Davidova, a Missouri commit, tied for fourth at 2-over 73 with sisters Elsie (UVA) and Kennedy (Virginia Tech commit) MacCleery. The sisters met in a consolation bracket match last year, but by luck of the draw, are on opposite sides of the bracket in this year's championship flight. Davidova is seeded fourth, Kennedy MacCleery fifth, and Elsie MacCleery sixth.

Greenlief, a seven-time VSGA Women's Golfer of the Year, struggled with the driver on Tuesday but scrambled to a 3-over finish, good for a tie for seventh with East Carolina's Madison Rizzo.

NOTABLE

• Ha earned stroke-play medalist honors for the second time in this event, having shared the spoils with Kanchana Duangsam in 2024 at River Bend Club.

• The five-stroke margin in qualifying is the largest since qualifying was reduced from 36 holes to 18 in 2020.

• The last time Roanoke hosted the Women's Amateur, Julie Shin was medalist after shooting 70.

• Becca DiNunzio was the last medalist to win the championship, doing so in 2021 at Evergreen Country Club. The medalist has reached the final in five of the six years since qualifying was reduced the 18 holes, the exception being last year when eventual champion Sky Sload ousted Greenlief in the quarterfinals.
• In a nod to the 101st playing of this championship, the par-3 14th hole played at 101 yards on Tuesday.
• Notable players to miss the championship flight included Mercer's Riley Kim, 2024 semifinalist Ayla Browning, Roanoke member Ashnoor Kaur, and 2025 semifinalist Macy Johnson. In fairness to Johnson, she's spent the summer working as a tournament department intern for the VSGA, which has cut into her practice time considerably.
• Kennedy MacCleery won the Women's Open of Virginia at Independence Golf Club in June, becoming both the youngest winner and the first player from Virginia to win that championship.

QUOTABLE

• "It's a great event to have here. I'm trying not to put more pressure on myself that's not already there, with me being a hometown person. Knowing the history of this event and my own history at this golf course, I'm trying to use both of those things to my advantage. Hopefully, it all comes together." -- Kathryn Ha

• "Match play is very unpredictable. The top 16 is a very competitive but small portion of the field. Anyone can have their day." -- Ha
• "It just frees me up. I don't overthink too much. At other courses, I'm pulling out my yardage book, I'm looking at every detail of the green. Here, it's more like 'where is the fat side of the green?' Some of these putts, I'm not overthinking too much. More than likely, I've been there before." -- Ha on home-course advantage

• "This is one of the courses where if you're a little bit off the fairway, you're in a really tough spot. It's definitely beneficial to have played this course before, and I've been lucky enough to have played here at the Scott Robertson, and that definitely helps on the back nine, Dogwood." -- Kennedy MacCleery

• "My first two holes, I started bogey-bogey, so after that, I was just trying to keep it in the fairway and not worry too much about my swing, just trust my game. The greens were playing a little soft, so that helped with the wedges. Whenever I had a long wedge shot in, I knew it was going to spin a bunch. I also just got new wedges, so my grooves were super spinny. So I was battling that a lot today. I had to hit a couple with no spin and just try to get it to roll up." -- K. MacCleery
• "It's super exciting. I've definitely struggled a bit with having a good first round the last couple of years. So it's nice to be able to play consistently, which is something I've been noticing in my game more recently. So having a consistent first round just eases my nerves and allows me to go into match play with a better mindset, knowing that I can do this. It's exciting to get to (championship flight) match play." -- K. MacCleery
• "It's been amazing, the amount of words of encouragement from people has been incredible. It's definitely proof that I can do it, and I can succeed. Golf is one of those sports where you rarely win. In golf, when you win, it's a really big deal. To do it as a VSGA event was amazing. In the back of my mind, it's given me some encouragement, like if I'm out practicing and I hit a bad shot, it's not the end of the world. I just try my best, and if it comes again, it comes again." -- K. MacCleery on the impact of her Women's Open win on her mindset.
• "I think the elevation is tough. The greens were soft, so nothing was bouncing forward. You pretty much had to go for the pin. And when you were out of play in the rough, it was difficult to get the ball to stop when you hit out of it." -- Madison Lehr
• "I'm just going to stick to my plan, because I feel like 1-over could win (a match) in match play, especially on this course. I'm just going to hit the middle of greens, two putt and get out. I think par will win a couple of holes here." -- Lehr
• "I had a very scrambly day for me. I normally hit a ton of fairways, but I think I only hit five today. So I was playing from the rough and playing from everywhere. I'm happy to kind of bring it around and hold it at 3 (over) and get to play tomorrow." -- Lauren Greenlief
• "Her game is great. We've seen each other a lot this year on the amateur circuit, and Kathryn and I are pretty close. We played a practice round yesterday. She just hit it very solid today. Lots of fairways, lots of greens, and she hit some putts. I think she's going to be a tough competitor this week on her home course." -- Greenlief on Ha
  
• "I always come in trying to make a deep run and to win the event. I think my game is pretty sharp right now. I just need to tighten up the driver, and I'll be right there." -- Greenlief.