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CORNING, N.Y. -- 14-year-old Lily Zhang captured the 93rd New York State Women’s Amateur Championship by six strokes after firing an even par 72 in her final round Tuesday afternoon at Corning Country Club.  

Related: Championship Central / Photos / Final Results / Day 1 Recap / Program 

The junior out of Park Country Club cruised to a dominant victory for her first state title. She finished the tournament at 8-over par with scores of 77-75-72 for a total score of 224. Zhang had an uncharacteristic round one score but was only two shots off the lead. Heading into the second round, she felt very confident she was going to make a change. 

“Before the round I felt very calm,” said Zhang about waking up Tuesday morning leading the field. “I knew where my game was and how it stood against the rest of the field.”

Zhang had trouble off the tee on hole No. 1, but with a great second shot, she was able to push off the nerves and play sound golf. “I hit one of the best 3 wood shots of my life to about 15 feet for an easy par.”

Zhang’s final round was the low score of the tournament, and with the victory, she became the second youngest player to win the New York State Women’s Amateur Championship. Megan Grehan was 13 years old when she captured her first title in 2002, and then repeated again in 2003 at age 14.

 “He is just a great supporter and just always there for me,” Zhang said about having her father on the bag for the tournament. 

 After finishing on top of the leaderboard, Zhang is looking forward to the upcoming Women’s Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club and NYS Girls’ Junior Championship in July at the Lake Placid Club. She finished as a runner-up at the Girls’ Junior in 2021 and 2022.

“Just getting into that rhythm of getting on the green and making pars,” Zhang said about having a lead entering the final round.

Following the new champ was Amber Pennington of MGA eClub – Hudson Valley, who is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard in NYS Championships. In her runner-up effort, she finished her tournament 14-over with scores of 82-74-74 for a total score of 230. 

After the opening round, Pennington was not near the top of the leaderboard after posting an 82. However, the following two rounds were nothing short of great. She followed her Monday morning round with a 2-over 74 in the afternoon, and another 74 on Tuesday. 

“After that first 82, I was just trying to make the cut,” said Amber jokingly about her opening round. “My caddie and I had a great talk on that hour break, and he really helped me snap back into shape.”

Pennington had such a great afternoon on the first day that she played herself right into the second to last pairing. 

This is Pennington’s second runner-up finish in a NYSGA Championship this year, with the first coming back in early June when she finished in 2nd with her dad in the NYS Amateur Mixed Team Championship at Leatherstocking Golf Course. 

To round out the top five, three others were able to score 15-over for the championship. Those players are Taylor Miano of Mohansic Golf Course, who shot a 75 in her final round, Mikah McDonnell of Locust Hill Country Club, and Julia Zigrossi of Ridgemont Country Club, who held the round one lead. Zigrossi won the 2021 NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur and two NYS Women’s Four-Ball titles.

In solo sixth was Erika Fuentes of West Hills Country Club, who was able to secure a 16-over 232 for her scorecard. 

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Also being played was the final round of the 14th New York State Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Corning Country Club.  

Country Club of Troy’s Samantha Schuffenecker was able to fight off the stacked field and come from behind to win her first NYS title by four strokes. Schuffenecker had one of the best rounds for both the Mid-Am and Amateur divisions with an even par 72.

After playing 18 holes on Monday, Schuffenecker was two shots back of the reigning, back-to-back champion Christy Schultz, who was making a bid to become a five-time Mid-Am champ and ten-time NYSGA champion. Schuffenecker started out hot during Tuesday’s final round and went 2-under on the front nine of the course to apply some pressure on the defending champion. 

“Yesterday I hit the ball great and struggled on the greens,” Schuffenecker said about her opening round on Monday. “I was just trying to enjoy myself and take it one shot at a time.”

Schuffenecker stayed in control for the rest of the round, not allowing any major errors on her way in. Not only was she able to secure a state title, but she won it with Schultz and three-time NYS Women’s Senior Champion, Kim Kaul, of East Aurora Country Club in her grouping. 

“I played with both of them before and I love playing with them,” she said. “Two great competitors so it was just fun to be out there with them and battle it out there with them.”

Schultz, of Oak Hill Country Club was going for the three-peat this year and was leading after round one with a score of 76 and leading the field. She posted a 78 in her final round and finished 10-over on the tournament, capturing a second-place finish with two other players.

Also tied for second place is Carolyn Mancini of Binghamton Country Club, who is also in with a 78 for her first-round score and 76 in her final round for a total of 154. 

Teresa Cleland of Bellevue Country Club, three-time Women’s Mid-Am Champion, rounded out the tie for second with scores of 79 and 75 to stay tied at 10-over. 

Rounding out the top five is Lauren Cupp of Yahnundasis Golf Club, who fell one short of the tie at second, with a score of 81 and 77 for a score of 14-over 158. She was the runner-up the past two years (2021-22) and won the title in 2017 at Schuyler Meadows.