Championship Website | Scoring | Preview | Record Book: Mid-Amateur | Senior | Super Senior | Net
Dates: Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30
Format: 36 holes of stroke play in four divisions: Mid-Amateur (open to players 22 and older not currently competing on a college golf roster), Senior (50+), Super Senior (65+), and Net (all ages). If there is a tie atop the leaderboard in any division after 36 holes, a sudden-death playoff will be utilized to determine a champion.
Defending champions: Lauren Greenlief (Mid-Amateur), Lucy Chun (Senior), Shawn McCullough (Super Senior), Linda Lumsden (Net)
Host site: James River Country Club
Day 2: HISTORY MADE AS FOUR CHAMPIONS CROWNED ALONG THE JAMES RIVER
Lauren Greenlief ties the all-time lead women's VSGA titles with 14.
By Nate Wise
NEWPORT NEWS – Four champions were crowned Wednesday as the VSGA’s Women’s Stroke Play Championships concluded at James River Country Club, with each title decided in its own unique fashion. Lauren Greenlief defended her Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play title and tied the all-time VSGA record with her 14th women’s championship, while Lynne Leith captured her second Women’s Net Stroke Play title in three years.
Casey Burley held steady through a nerve-filled final round to win the Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship, while Kolette Hoyle delivered a dramatic finish in the Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship, answering Miki Gardner’s birdie on the 18th with one of her own to secure the victory.
4th VSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur
Lauren Greenlief successfully defended her title Wednesday at the 4th VSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship, winning by a convincing seven strokes. Greenlief carded a 1-under-par 70 in the final round to finish at 4-under 138 for the championship.
After opening with a 3-under 68 on Tuesday, Greenlief closed with six birdies on Wednesday to pull away from the field. Jessica Spicer finished runner-up at 3-over 145 after a final-round 70, while Mallory Matthews placed third at 5-over 147.
The victory marked Greenlief’s second consecutive Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play title and the 14th VSGA women’s championship of her career. With the win, she tied the all-time VSGA record for the most women’s titles, adding another milestone to her historic career in Virginia golf.
5th VSGA Women’s Net Stroke Play
Lynne Leith captured her second VSGA Women’s Net Stroke Play Championship in three years Wednesday, finishing at 1-over-par 143 to win the 5th edition of the championship. She followed her opening-round 2-under 69 with a 74 in the final round to finish a full 10 strokes clear of the field
Susan Krancer (Colonial Heritage Club), Sarah Chung (Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort) and Richelle Davis (Herndon Centennial Golf Course) all shared second place at 11-over 153. Krancer posted the low round of the group with a strong 1-over 72.
Leith’s previous title in this event came in 2024 at Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club.
29th VSGA Senior Stroke Play Championship
Kolette Hoyle held off a late charge Wednesday to win the 29th VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship. Representing Trump National, Hoyle followed her opening-round 75 with a 79 to finish one stroke ahead of Miki Gardner.
Gardner (Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club) made a dramatic push on the final hole, sinking a birdie on No. 18 to pull even with Hoyle at 13-over. With the championship hanging in the balance, Hoyle stayed calm and answered with a birdie of her own on the 18th to reclaim the lead and secure the victory.
Peggy Freeman of Stonehenge Golf & Country Club finished third at 19-over 161, while Kay Tyler of Belle Haven Country Club and Helen Im, also from Stonehenge Golf & Country Club, shared fourth at 21-over 163.
9th VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship
Casey Burley battled a strong field and her own nerves to capture the 9th VSGA Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship at 16-over-par 158. Representing Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort, Burley carded a second consecutive 8-over 79 to finish four strokes clear of the field and claim the championship.
Burley said she had to fight to stay focused knowing a title was on the line, but steadied herself when it mattered most. She opened the back nine with six consecutive pars, maintaining her lead through a crucial stretch before closing out the championship with a steady finish.
Shelley Savage of Army Navy Country Club and Susan Lantzy of The Piedmont Club shared second at 20-over 162. Kit Burns finished fourth at 21-over 163, while Mimi Hoffman rounded out the top five at 22-over 164.
Day 1: SLIM LEADS DEVELOP AFTER ONE ROUND AT VSGA WOMEN'S STROKE PLAYS
Kolette Hoyle (Trump National) tees off en route to a Senior Division-leading 4-over 75
NEWPORT NEWS – The 2026 VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championships got underway Tuesday at James River Country Club in Newport News, with four championships being contested concurrently across the historic course.
Players were treated to pleasant temperatures in the low 70s, with occasional sunshine breaking through an otherwise overcast sky throughout the day. The opening round featured strong competition across all four divisions, setting up a number of exciting finishes for the second and final round on Wednesday.
4th VSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur
Lauren Greenlief carded a 3-under-par 68 to take the first-round lead in the 4th VSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Greenlief finished two strokes ahead of Mallory Matthews, who posted a 1-under 70, while Katelynn Waclawski and Jessica Spicer are tied for third at 4-over 75.
Greenlief said the course was playing well and rewarded precise play off the tee. “This is a golf course where you just have to hit your spots off the tee. You don't have to bomb it. You just have to be in the fairway,” she said. Greenlief took advantage of the course’s early par 5s and said she “drove it straight” while playing solidly throughout the round.
The Northern Virginia native enters Wednesday’s final round with a two-stroke lead and plans to stick with the same approach. “I love competing. So, getting to compete and play all the time is like a dream summer for me,” Greenlief said. She added that she’ll prepare for the final round by getting comfortable around the greens before taking it “one shot at a time again.”
5th VSGA Women’s Net Stroke Play
A strong finish put Lynne Leith in front after Tuesday’s opening round of the 5th VSGA Women’s Net Stroke Play Championship. Leith posted a 2-under par 69 to take a four-stroke lead over Richelle Davis, who finished at 2-over 73. Sarah Chung is third at 6-over 77, followed by Linda Lumsden at 7-over 78.
Leith’s round got off to a rocky start with a bogey and double bogey on the first two holes, but she settled in from there. With just one more bogey to her name the rest of the loop, Leith finished with consecutive birdies to card a 69. Her short game was a key part of the turnaround. “My short game did pretty well. I think I 3-putted once, so I was good. Had lots of 1 putts,” she said.
Despite holding a sizable lead heading into Wednesday’s final round, Leith said she isn’t interested in focusing on the leaderboard. Instead, she plans to stick with the approach that helped her recover Tuesday. “I just wanted to hit good shots,” she said. “And so every time if you just hit a good shot, it adds up.”
29th VSGA Senior Stroke Play Championship
Kolette Hoyle didn’t need her best putting performance to find herself atop the leaderboard following 18 holes of the 29th VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship. Hoyle carded a 4-over-par 75 to finish the day one stroke ahead of Bev Lane (76) and four ahead of Sunny Small (79). The trio of Peggy Freeman, Lisa Mulford and Miki Gardner currently share fourth place at 9-over 80.
The key to Hoyle’s round came on the back nine, where she found a steady rhythm despite leaving several birdie opportunities on the course. She hit eight of nine greens in regulation and had multiple birdie putts inside 10 feet, but none found the bottom of the cup. “But it's nice to have little tap-ins for par when you're playing stroke play,” Hoyle said.
Now with a one-stroke lead heading into Wednesday’s final round, Hoyle plans to keep things simple. “Just stay relaxed and focus on first shot and not think about the whole round at one time,” she said. And after struggling with the putter Tuesday, she already knows where she’ll spend some time before the final round: “I'm going to spend some time on the putting green.”
9th VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship
A tight leaderboard has emerged as Casey Burley opened the 9th VSGA Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship with a 8-over-par 79. Burley holds a mere one-stroke advantage over Susan Lantzy, with Kit Burns and Virginia Wells another stroke back at 10-over 81. Three players—Maxine Bland, defending champion Shawn McCullough and Shelley Savage—are tied for fifth at 12-over 83.
Despite a few challenges around the course, Burley was pleased with the way she struck the ball. “I struck the ball really well and just got into a little bit of trouble, and it's really hard when you get in the rough here,” she said. She also highlighted the greens at Kiln Creek, noting that they were “in the greatest shape I've seen them” and “rolling true.” Burley’s lone birdie came at No. 6, where she said staying focused led to a strong approach and a three-foot putt.
With just one stroke separating her from Lantzy, Burley knows there will be plenty of competition in Wednesday’s final round. “There's some really good players out here and I'm looking forward to going up against them,” she said. “So really happy to be here.”