McEvoy Finishes as Runner-Up at U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

2026 | U.S. Womens Mid Amateur

UPDATE (September 3, 2026) — Catherine McEvoy‘s bid to make it Met Area U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champions in back-to-back years came up just short on Thursday, as she fell by a 5-and-4 margin against Ivy Shepherd of Peachtree City, Ga., at Montclair Golf Club.

The first two holes were tied before Shepherd captured the lead with a par on the third hole. She remained steady throughout and built a 3-up advantage after winning Nos. 7 and 9 with a par and a birdie.

While McEvoy had been strong on Montclair’s final nine through the week, she wasn’t able to chip away at Shepherd’s advantage. After three ties, Shepherd drove the par-4 13th with the tees forward and made the eagle putt to push her advantage to four. A par on the challenging par-4 14th closed out the match.

UPDATE (September 2, 2026) — Wednesday was a packed day for Catherine McEvoy, as she wrapped up her Round of 16 victory after a 7:30 a.m. restart at Montclair Golf Club, advanced through the Quarterfinal round just after noon, then secured a spot in Thursday’s final of the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship just after 5 p.m.

Though the Riverside, Conn., native and 2026 Women’s Met Amateur champion had bounced back from slow starts in previous matches, her semifinal match against co-medalist Emilia Doran began with three consecutive victories including an opening birdie on the par-5. Doran – who had played 16 fewer holes than McEvoy during match play thanks to early victories against opponents – showed no quit though and battled back slowly to tie the match through 12 holes.

The duo traded the next two holes, leaving the match tied through 14. After tying the par-5 15th with bogey, McEvoy took the par-3 16th with a birdie to earn a 1-up advantage. McEvoy had been strong on the closing nine throughout the week at Montclair, holding a 16-3 edge over opponents in holes won across the last nine. With ties on Nos. 17 and 18, McEvoy secured her spot in the final.

McEvoy will face Ivy Shepherd of Peachtree City, Ga., Thursday, with the championship match beginning at 8:30 a.m. Shepherd was another one of the three co-medalists from the weekend’s stroke play qualifying. She defeated Vanessa Wang of Nashville, Tenn., 2 up, in the other semifinal match.

UPDATE (September 2, 2026) — After returning to Montclair Golf Club Wednesday morning and closing out her Round of 16 win in the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Catherine McEvoy of Riverside, Conn., earned a 2-and-1 win in her Quarterfinal match to advance to the afternoon’s Semifinal round.

Her Round of 16 match resumed at 7:30 a.m. after dangerous weather had suspended play on Tuesday evening against Sarah Willis of Eaton, Ohio. Finishing with ties on Nos. 16-18 led to a 1-up victory for the 28-year-old and a come-from-behind victory, having stood 4 down through eight holes.

McEvoy then squared off against Jensen Jalufka of Austin, Texas. She once again faced an early deficit, dropping the first three holes. She won her first hole of the match on the par-4 sixth, but Jalufka won the very next hole. However, that would be Jalufka’s last hole won of the match. McEvoy took the par-4 ninth, then won Nos. 12-15 to turn a deficit into a two-hole advantage. Ties on Nos. 16 and 17 closed out the match.

McEvoy now faces Emilia Doran of Charlotte, N.C., in the afternoon Semifinals, teeing off at 1:45 p.m. Doran, one of three co-medalists from stroke play qualifying, has been on a tear, winning two matches by 7-and-6 margins and another by a 6-and-4 mark. During match play, Doran has played 16 fewer holes than McEvoy, who has played all the way to 18 in three of her four matches.

UPDATE (September 1, 2026) — While three Met Area competitors were eliminated from play on Tuesday in the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Catherine McEvoy of Riverside, Conn., will return to Montclair Golf Club Wednesday morning with a spot in the Quarterfinal round on the line after her Round of 16 match was suspended due to thunderstorms in the area shortly after 6 p.m.

In the morning’s Round of 32, McEvoy fell two down through four holes to Jennifer Peng of San Diego, Calif., but tied the match with wins on Nos. 5 and 8. She took a lead with back-to-back wins on Nos. 11-12 only to see Peng tie the match with a win on 14. McEvoy took advantage of Peng miscues down the stretch though, as Peng missed several short looks. One such missed putt earned McEvoy a 1-up lead with one to play. On 18, McEvoy found the upper tier and made an outstanding lag down the hill to then make par. Peng had hit her approach to inside of three feet, but couldn’t force extra holes.

In the afternoon, McEvoy fell four down through eight holes to Sarah Willis of Eaton, Ohio. But, McEvoy rallied again, winning five of seven holes from 9-15 to capture her first lead. However, dangerous weather in the area suspended play at 6:08 p.m., forcing the pair to return for a 7:30 a.m., resumption of play, Wednesday morning.

Talia Campbell of New York, N.Y., also advanced to the afternoon following a dominating 7-and-6 victory over Australia’s Kristy Hodgkins-Redner. Campbell won the first six holes – five of which were with pars – to take the commanding lead and never look back.

Next up, Campbell faced Hanley Long of Clarksville, Tenn. Though she trailed by two through three, she tied the match by winning the 10th. However, Long won the next four holes and dispatched Campbell, 4 and 3.

Both Ina Kim-Schaad and Hana Ku dropped their morning Round of 32 matches. Though Kim-Schaad won two holes in the first eight, she trailed by three entering the final nine and couldn’t mount the comeback as Brooke Tyree of Scottsdale, Ariz., took the 4-and-3 win. Ku fell five down through the opening eight holes to Erin Houtsma of Denver, Colo. She won Nos. 9-10, but three ties followed by a win by Houtsma made it a 4-hole deficit with four to play. Ku won the next, but a tie ended the match, 3 and 2.

UPDATE (August 31, 2026) – Met Area competitors went 4-for-4 on Monday at Montclair Golf Club, all winning their Round of 64 matches in the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Defending champion Ina Kim-Schaad of New York, N.Y., drew 2023 champion Kimberly Dinh of Midland, Mich., in the Round of 64 after Dinh emerged from an 8-for-4 playoff on Monday morning.

Kim-Schaad, the No. 4 seed, used a fast start and strong close to the first nine to gather her lead, winning Nos. 1-2 and 7-8. While Dinh had responses to both successive victories, Kim-Schaad added another win on the par-3 12th to go 3-up. The duo tied Nos. 14 and 15 with birdies as Kim-Schaad went on to the 3-and-2 victory. She will face No. 36 seed Brooke Tyree of Scottsdale, Ariz., Tuesday morning in the Round of 32, teeing off at 8:06 a.m.

Though No. 5 seed Talia Campbell of New York, N.Y., had a 2-up advantage through seven holes, her match with Xiaolong Zhong of The People’s Republic of China returned to a tie through 11 holes. Campbell – the 2019 runner-up to Kim-Schaad – then won the next three holes to gain control of the match. After ties on Nos. 15 and 16, Campbell secured the 3-and-2 win of her own. Campbell faces Australia’s Kristy Hodgkins-Redner in the Round of 32 at 8:24 a.m.

No. 6 seed Catherine McEvoy held a 2-up advantage through eight holes, but Taya Battistella of Bellingham, Wash., won Nos. 9 and 11 to return the match to tied. The two traded holes on Nos. 12 and 14, while McEvoy won the par-5 15th with par. After ties on Nos. 16 and 17, McEvoy knocked her approach within just a couple of feet on the 18th. Battistella had a birdie look as well, but conceded after her attempt raced by, giving McEvoy the 2-up victory. McEvoy will take on Jennifer Peng of San Diego, Calif., in at 9:36 a.m., Tuesday morning.

No. 15 seed Hana Ku of New York, N.Y., dropped her opening hole to Dasa Urbankova of Czechia, but wins on Nos. 4 and 5 flipped the match in her favor. Ku continued to build momentum, winning Nos. 8 and 11-13 to earn a commanding lead. Though Urbankova won back-to-back holes on Nos. 14-15, Ku’s win on the 16th finished the match, 4 and 2, earning her a matchup with Erin Houtsma of Denver, Colo., Tuesday morning at 8:51 a.m.

Mimi McAndrew of New York, N.Y., was part of the 8-for-4 morning playoff, but made bogey on the par-4 10th to narrowly miss out on advancing to the bracket.

UPDATE: (August 30, 2026) — After 36 holes of challenging golf at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J., at least four Met Area competitors are headed to match play in the 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, with a fifth set to compete in a playoff Monday morning at 7:30 a.m.

Reigning champion and past MGA Women’s Player of the Year Ina Kim Schaad of New York, N.Y.; 2026 Women’s Met Amateur champion Catherine McEvoy of Riverside, Conn.; and Talia Campbell of New York, N.Y., all finished tied for fourth at 3-over-par. Kim-Schaad recorded scores of 70-73, while Campbell posted the reverse, 73-70, for her 143 total, as all three finished two shots back of a trio that shared medalist honors.

Meanwhile, McEvoy rebounded from a 7-over 77 on Saturday with a 4-under 66 on Sunday to earn the low round in the 132-player field over the two days of stroke play competition.

“Today I knew I had a job to get done, so I really honed in on my irons and that played out well for me,” McEvoy, 28, told the USGA. “I was hitting a lot of my shots close and was able to make the putts, and birdied four of my last five holes on the front nine, which was a big swing and a good momentum booster going into my final nine. This is a course where being on the right portions of the greens is so important.”

Kim-Schaad is one of eight past champions that have advanced to match play at Montclair. She awaits the matchup from an 8-for-4 playoff, but will begin her Round of 64 match at 10:50 a.m.

Campbell, the No. 5 seed, faces Xiaolong Zhong of the People’s Republic of China at 10:10 a.m., while McEvoy drew the No. 6 seed and will square off against Taya Battistella of Bellingham, Wash., at 1:10 p.m.

Hana Ku of New York, N.Y., also earned a spot in match play, finishing solo 15th behind rounds of 72-74. Ku will match up against Dasa Urbankova of Czechia at 11:30 a.m.

Mimi McAndrew of New York, N.Y., will have a shot at securing a spot in the bracket after rounds of 75-79. McAndrew is in the first group of four going off the 425-yard par-4 10th at 7:30 a.m., in the 8-for-4 playoff.

The championship is taking place on the second and third nines at Montclair, with the hilly layout and multi-tiered greens testing the field of the nation’s top women’s mid-amateurs. Only seven sub-par scores were registered over the two days of stroke play, with the cut falling at 14-over 154, which ties the lowest cumulative score in championship history, matching 2025 and 2023.

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (August 28, 2026) – The 39th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship tees off on Saturday at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J., with the Met Area well represented in the 132-player field. The championship, established in 1987, will be contested in New Jersey for just the second time (1997, Atlantic City Country Club), while this is the first time an MGA member will welcome the championship.

Defending champion and two-time winner Ina Kim-Schaad leads Met Area competitors in the field, with the 2019 and 2025 champion aiming to make another deep run, this time a little closer to home. Kim-Schaad, who splits time between New York and Florida, has had an adventurous year, competing in several national championships – such as the U.S. Women’s Open, the Women’s Amateur at Muirfield (Scotland), and the Canadian Women’s Amateur – as the reigning U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion.

Also exempt for the championship is Kate Granahan of Mountain Lakes, N.J. Granahan advanced to the Round of 16 last year at Monterey Peninsula to secure her spot close to home this year and will strike the championship’s opening tee shot on the first hole on Saturday. Granahan last month won the MGA/WMGA Mixed Pinehurst Championship while teaming up with past MGA President Stephen Boyd for the victory at Knollwood Country Club.

A trio of competitors from the 2026 Women’s Met Amateur Championship will also tee it up at Montclair: champion Catherine McEvoy of Riverside, Conn., runner-up Hana Ku of New York, N.Y., and Mimi McAndrew of New York, N.Y. McEvoy made a run to the Round of 16 in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and is making her fourth consecutive appearance, while Ku is making her fifth appearance in the championship and will hit the first tee ball on the 10th hole. McEvoy earned medalist honors by seven shots at a qualifier in New Hampshire, while Ku earned medalist honors at Knickberbocker Country Club, from which McAndrew also advanced.

Talia Campbell (New York, N.Y.), Amy Ding (New York, N.Y.) and New Jersey natives Alice Chen-Taylor(Charlotte, N.C.) and Megan Voetsch (Boston, Mass.), will also represent the Met Area. Campbell was runner-up to Kim-Schaad in 2019 in the all-NYC finale. Meanwhile, Chen-Taylor makes the return to her home state. Chen Taylor competed several years on the Epson Tour and has returned to the amateur ranks, in which she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2017 with fellow Garden State native and then Furman University teammate Taylor Totland.

This will be the third USGA championship (1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 1985 U.S. Amateur) hosted by Montclair Golf Club. As a founding member of the MGA, Montclair is a longtime supporter of MGA championships. The club has welcomed seven different MGA championships and is one of 21 Met Area clubs to have hosted all three MGA Majors – the Ike (2002, ’14), Met Amateur (1929, ’41), and Met Open (1982). It most recently welcomed the MGA Senior Amateur in 2019.

The original 18 holes were designed by Tom Bendelow in 1899, with Donald Ross replacing that layout with a newly designed first and second nine, while also adding a third nine. A fourth nine was added by Charles Banks in 1928. All four nines have been renovated through the years, with Brian Schneider most recently completed a restoration of the 1920s designs on the second, third, and fourth nines. The championship will use the second and third nines.

Following stroke play rounds on Saturday and Sunday, the opening round of match play for 64 competitors is slated for Monday, August 31. The Round of 32 and Round of 16 follow Tuesday, while Quarterfinals and Semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, September 2. The 18-hole championship will then take place Thursday, September 4.