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LANCASTER, N.Y. – New York State’s top amateur women golfers will face off next week at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, N.Y. for the 90th NYS Women’s Amateur & 11th Mid-Amateur Championships on July 9-11, 2019.

Related: Championship Home / Pairings / Past Winners

The field is set at 41 players divided into two divisions: Amateur and Mid-Amateur (25+ years old). The Championships will run concurrently from Tuesday through Thursday’s finish with tee times off both sides (#1 and #10), for the first two rounds of the championship in groups of three competitors. After 36 holes, a cut will be applied to the low 50% of the field in each division and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead. The remaining field will be paired together based on division as well as score, and will tee off in twosomes from #1 in twosomes to finish the championship.

Championship Quick Facts

Dates: July 9-11, 2019

Host Site: Lancaster Country Club, Lancaster, N.Y.

Course Yardage: 

Amateur Division – NYSGA Blue Tees

IN: 3,081 yards / OUT: 2,986 yards

TOTAL: 6,067 yards, par 36-37-73 (73.4/130)

Mid-Amateur Division – NYSGA Red Tees

IN: 2,751 yards / OUT: 2,685 yards

TOTAL: 5,436 yards, par 36-37-73 (69.9/123)

Defending Champions: Kyra Cox (Amateur) & Jenna Hoecker (Mid-Amateur)

Format: 54 holes of stroke play, played over three days. Field will be cut to low 50% for each championship after 36 holes.

Eligibility: Open to female amateur golfers who are members of the NYSGA and have an active Handicap Index issued by a golf club which is licensed to use the USGA Handicap System. To be eligible for the Mid-Amateur, golfers must have reached their 25th birthday by July 9, 2019.  

Schedule of Events

Monday, July 8

11:00am - 5:00pm……....….…… Player registration & Practice rounds            

Tuesday, July 9

8:00am - 10:10am….…......……. Round 1 Tee Times

Wednesday, July 10

8:00am - 10:10am….…......……. Round 2 Tee Times

Note: Cut after 36 holes to low 50% in each Champ field & 10 shot rule.

Thursday, July 11 - Round 3

8:00am - 9:30am……….......…… Round 3 Tee Times

3:00pm......................................... Awards ceremony

The Field

The 90th NYS Women’s Amateur Championship field contains two past champions including:

Kyra Cox, of Centennial Golf Club, is a two-time Women’s Amateur Champion. In 2015, Cox captured the title at Tuscarora Golf Club by two strokes, becoming one of the youngest golfers to win the championship (15 years old). Last year, Cox secured her second title by seven strokes at Yahnundasis Golf Club. She has gained national attention in the last couple of years after qualifying for the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals in 2015 and competing in the US Girls’ Junior, US Women’s Amateur and Girls Junior PGA Championship in 2016. In 2017, she qualified for the Junior PGA Championship and the AJGA Girls Championship. More recently, Cox competed in the Women’s Porter Cup. The 19-year-old just wrapped up her freshman season on the Furman University women’s golf team in Greenville, South Carolina.

Christy Schultz, of Brook-Lea Country Club, has won the Women’s Amateur Championship three times, first in 2004 at RTJGC at Cornell, again in 2007 at Oneida Community Golf Club, and 2008 at Wayne Hills Country Club. In 2009-10, she won the first two Mid-Amateur championships at Drumlins Country Club (East) and Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club. She also won back-to-back Girls’ Junior titles in 1996 at Mohawk Golf Club and Gowanda Country Club in 1997. Schultz finished seventh at last year’s Amateur Championship.

The 11th NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship field contains a wide array of past New York State champions including past winners of the Women’s Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Women’s Senior:

Tammy Blyth, of Monroe Golf Club, won the 2018 Women’s Senior Championship at Thendara Golf Club.

Pennie Carlo, of Crestwood Golf Club, captured her first NYS title earlier this summer at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship at Ravenwood Golf Club with partner Lauren Cupp. The Rome resident will compete at the 58th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in August. 

Teresa Cleland, of Bellevue Country Club, took home the NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur title in three consecutive years from 2011-13 at Rome CC, Seneca Falls CC, CC of Ithaca, respectively. Cleland also won the Women’s Senior title consecutively in 2009-10 at Thendara GC & Ontario CC. More recently, the Syracuse native has collaborated with Carina Watkins to win back-to-back NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball (2018 & 2019), making her a seven-time New York State champion. The Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame Inductee has competed at the national level numerous times including USGA Women’s State championships, U.S. Mid-Ams and US Women’s Senior championships.

Lauren Cupp, of Rome Country Club, claimed the 2017 Women’s Mid-Amateur at Schuyler Meadows Club by one stroke. Cupp captured her second NYS title earlier this summer at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship with partner Pennie Carlo. Cupp is the head men’s and women’s golf coach at her alma mater, Hamilton College in upstate New York. In 2015, Cupp finished runner-up in the Speedgolf World Championships at The Glen Club in Illinois, shooting a 21-over 93 in only 58 minutes! Cupp finished T-2 at last year’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Jenna Hoecker, of Brook-Lea Country Club, will be back to defend Mid-Amateur title. The 26-year-old capture the championship by 10 strokes last year. Hoecker won the Women’s Amateur in 2013 at the Country Club of Ithaca. 

Julie Murphy, of Brookfield Country Club, finished runner-up at the 2017 NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur. She captured the 2017 NYS Mixed Team Amateur Championship with her husband, Michael, on the third playoff hole at Skaneateles Country Club. Murphy, has been chasing the Mid-Amateur title for the past few years, avoiding finishing outside the top-7 in each of the last four championships.

Carina Watkins, of Beaver Meadows Golf Club, recently captured her second straight NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball (2018 & 2019) with partner Teresa Cleland. Watkins also captured a NYS Women’s Senior title in 2011 at Clifton Springs Country Club.

Other Women to Watch

In the Amateur

Maren Cipolla, of Park Country Club, won the 2015 NYS Girls’ Junior Championship at Cedar Lake Club. The Lewiston native is entering her senior year on the University of Texas women’s golf team.

Chelsea Dantonio, of Crag Burn Golf Club, recently wrapped up her senior season on the Winthrop University women’s golf team. She finished second in last year’s Amateur Championship.

Samantha Gaffney, of Brookfield Country Club, won the inaugural NYS Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in a two-hole playoff at Cornell’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in 2018 with her sister, Amanda. 

Alexia Hios, of Westchester Country Club, captured the 2013 NYS Girls’ Junior Championship at Skaneateles Country Club.

Elena Lopez, of Crag Burn Golf Club, finished second at the 2018 NYS Girls’ Junior Championship. 

Lauren Peter, of MGA eClub – Hudson Valley, recently finished her freshman season on the Ohio State women’s golf team. Prior to Ohio State, the Carmel native tallied 12 Top-10 finishes in American Junior Golf Association events. She also won the NYSPHSAA state championship in 2017 after finishing second in 2015 and 2016. 

Jennifer Rosenberg, of Glen Oaks Club, recently wrapped up her second season on the Tulane University women’s golf team. In her sophomore season, Rosenberg became the first Tulane golfer in program history to earn all-conference recognition from the American Athletic Conference. Prior to college, the Laurel Hollow native placed T-3 at the 2017 NYSPHSAA Girls Golf Championship, posting the lowest 36-hole score for a Long Island player in the 12-year history of the event. 

Lancaster Country Club

Lancaster Country Club was founded in 1925. The 18-hole course was designed by architects Charles G. Nieman and Craig Schreiner. The private course is set up at 6,568 yards with a par of 72. Lancaster has a rich history of hosting elite amateur competitions, beginning in 1965 with the New York State Men’s Amateur Championship. The club also hosted the 1968 and 1976 New York State Boys’ Junior and Sub-Junior Amateur Championship.