Ivy Shepherd Wins U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, Books Open Berth

Ivy Shepherd of Peachtree City, Georgia, closed out Catherine McEvoy 5 and 4 in Thursday's final to win the 39th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur at Montclair Golf Club, capturing her first USGA title and a place in next year's U.S. Women's Open.

How did Shepherd win the final?

The match was square through two holes before Shepherd won the third and seventh with pars and birdied the ninth to go 3 up. Three more pars opened the back nine, then an eagle on the par-4 13th extended her lead before she closed out the match with a par on the 14th to McEvoy's bogey. Shepherd reached the final by beating Vanessa Wang 2 up and Julia Potter-Bobb 1 up in a marathon Wednesday that combined her quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Who is Ivy Shepherd?

Shepherd, 26, recently stepped down as assistant coach of the Indiana University women's golf team. She played in the U.S. Girls' Junior in 2017 and 2018 and the U.S. Women's Amateur in 2018 and 2020, won medalist honors at the 2020 North & South Amateur, and competed in the 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur. A brief attempt at turning professional followed, which she has described as falling short.

What is the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur?

The USGA created the Mid-Amateur championships in the mid-1980s for players 25 and older, distinct from the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur fields, which skew toward current college players. Shepherd's win earns her the Mildred Gardinor Prunaret Trophy and an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Women's Open at Inverness Club.

It was Shepherd's first USGA title, won in her first USGA event.