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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – It was looking unlikely for Jane Fanning and Dannah Smith, trailing four shots in the second round after carding 42 on the out. After an up-and-down first round, they shared the lead at even-par with former champions Pennie Carlo and Lauren Cupp, their playing partners. 

Before taking the 17th tee box, Smith checked the leaderboard for the first time and realized they only trailed by one stroke, and with Fanning finding the water, she knew the stakes were high.

“On 16, I knew it was very incredibly downwind, and I knew from yesterday that on 17, you couldn't feel the wind for some reason there,” Smith said. “So I didn't even shoot the flag with my rangefinder. I shot the back hill.”

Smith put her tee shot close on the troublesome par 3. With the opposing duo carding a six, and Smith two-putting for par, for the first time all day, the former junior-league duo found themselves up by two and in the driver's seat.

“We knew that we felt strong coming into the last two, that those holes set up our strengths in terms of distance and making birdies,” Fanning said.

They sealed the deal with a birdie on the 18th hole and in their first attempt won the eighth New York State Women's Amateur Four-Ball on Tuesday at Leatherstocking GC. The pair of Fanning (from NYSGA eClub - Capital Region) and Smith (Orchard Creek CC) have known each other for what they estimated to be half of their lives. A final round of 77 and a tournament score of five-over gives them their first NYSGA Championship. 

“It's such a special moment and to do it in a partnership [with] someone who I've known for almost half my life, I couldn't ask for a better thing,” Fanning said.

Former youth golf partners Jane Fanning and Dannah Smith win the 8th NYS Women's Amateuer Four-Ball. 

Related: Scoring / Photos / Rd 1 Recap 

Former champions Carlo (Kanon Valley CC) and Cupp (Yahnundasis GC) finished runner-up with a final round of 79. They came up short by two strokes and went seven-over for the tournament. Rounding out the podium, Morgan Roche and Emma Vandecar of Edison Club tied with Naomi Badgley (USGA/MGA GC) and Veronika Niklin (MGA eClub - New York City) to share third place at 19-over.

In the Senior Division, Louise-Anne Morin of McCann CC, and Ingrid Narken of Thendara GC prevailed. It was Narken’s second win in this event, winning in 2023 with a different partner. Morin won the Senior Mixed Team state championship in 2025.

“[Team format] takes the pressure off you,” Narken said. “If you hit a bad shot, but your partner gets in the fairway or gets on the green, it takes a lot of pressure off you.”

The pair entered the second round at two-over trailing by one stroke to two-time consecutive winners Kim Kaul (East Aurora CC) and Janice Lavigne (Durand Eastman GC). Teresa Cleland and Carina Watkins finished the first round at one-under but withdrew. 

They also chose not to look at the tournament scoreboard. They didn’t know they won until they finished their 36th hole.

“We talked about it, we said, ‘should we look at where we stand’ and we go, ‘no, let's just try to do our best and whatever happens happens,’” Narken said.

Arguably their biggest putt of the day was for a rare bogey. On the tenth hole, they were clinging on to a slim lead. Narken had about 15 feet for bogey with her partner in trouble and drained the putt allowing her pair to keep the advantage.

“I think we fist pumped each other,” Morin said “You never usually celebrate bogeys, but that one we did,” Narken added.

They were level with the defending champions heading into the 15th hole, a par-5. A birdie from Morin helped the duo to retake the lead, on an afternoon where birdies were hard to buy. They cruised back into the clubhouse, closing their round with three easy pars to total a final round of 73 (one-over) and finishing the tournament victorious by two strokes at three-over. 

Kaul and Lavigne took second place finishing at five-over. Monica Hamilton (Kanon Valley CC) and Barbara Harrison (Oswego CC) went eight-over for the tournament, good enough for third place. Julie Hamm (Sodus Bay Heights GC) and Patty Riedel (Penfield CC) as well as Mary Jo Kelly (Wolfers Roost CC) and Karen Feldman (Columbia Golf and CC) finished at 11-over to tie for fourth place. 

The net winners in the open division were Michelle Ricciardi (NYSGA eClub) and Stacey Hornbeck (Stone Creek GC), they had a net total of even par. In the senior division, Jeanne A. Cavuoti and Lisa Crouch both of Corning CC were the net winners finishing with a net total of three-under.