Sweet Victory at Sugar Mill
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Sugar Mill Country Club provided the perfect scene for this year's Women’s Senior Amateur Match Play Championship. With its large, undulating greens and pristine fairways, match play on Sugar Mill’s White and Red courses would create a fun test for all the divisions. At the end of our three-day marathon, it was Susan Cohn who would hoist the trophy once again in the Senior Championship and Laura Carson in the Super-Senior Championship.
Senior Championship
Past Champion, Susan Cohn, would be awarded the one seed heading to match play Tuesday Morning. Cohn would not squander the opportunity in her first match, claiming the win 5 & 4. With a match still to play in the afternoon, and the humidity rising, anything could happen. Cohn would continue her match-play reign. The 2025 Women’s Senior Amateur champion, would continue her momentum. Cohn would claim her second match, 5 & 4, as well, over Wendi Christensen. With Match Play being the format, upsets are a given. Tricia Good would go on a tear, taking down competitor after competitor. The 12 seed, after winning her morning match 5 & 3, would play her Tuesday afternoon match against 2024 runner-up, Threse Quinn. Quinn would fight hard, but Good would claim the match on 18 to go 1 up. Good would find herself taking on the dominant past champion in the Semi-Finals.
Kim Keyer-Scott, the 3 time Women’s Senior Player of the year, would be caught in an 18-hole battle Tuesday morning with Suzanne Ricard. After a must-make par on 17, she would find herself in another tough match against Lin Culver, the 2018 and 2022 Champion. Culver would command her morning match, claiming it 6 & 5. However, Keyer-Scott would channel similar energy to claim the afternoon match at 5 & 4. Mary Jane Hiestand, 2023 Hall of Fame Inductee, would have the low score in stroke play seeding, carding one-under par. The 2014 & 2016 Champion would be hot this week, after defeating Karin-Joyce Tjon 3 & 2 in the morning, and Diane Chancellor, 4 & 3 in the afternoon, Hiestand would find herself in a match against 2023 runner-up, Kim Keyer-Scott.
The sticky summer Florida morning created quite the scene for the Semi-Final matches. Susan Cohn would take an early lead in her match against Tricia Good, but it was Cohn’s consistent play that would place her in the final match. The defending champion would capture her match 3 & 2. Mary Jane Hiestand would gain an early lead, but a streak of great play on holes 6, 7, 8, and 9 would carry Hiestand into the final match. The Naples native, beat Kim Keyer-Scott 4 & 3.
The Final Match would have two past champions facing off, head-to-head: Susan Cohn versus Mary Jane Hiestand. Susan Cohn would be deemed Miss Consistency by her competitors and would stay true to that title in the final match. Cohn would not card a single bogey in her final match, taking down Hiestand 6 & 5. Cohn would claim the Women’s Senior Amateur Match Play Championship for the second straight year.
Super-Senior Championship
The 2024 Super-Senior Champion, Karen Lesch, would continue to dominate the Division. Taking a commanding lead early on, Lesch would claim her first match of the day at 4 & 3. Chris Hunt would defeat Taffy Brower in the morning, finishing just 1 up. Hunt would fight Lesch hard, taking her match all the way to the eighteenth hole once again. In the end, Lesch would continue dominating and claim the match 1 up.
Laura Carson would show up Tuesday morning and would have no funny business. The 2025 Senior Amateur runner-up, in the Super-Senior division, would dominate her matches. Taking on Kathie Westlund, Carson would take the match 6 & 4. Carson would continue the trend into the afternoon, taking on Colleen Callahan. Carson would claim this match 6 & 5. The Vero Beach native would face off against the immediate past champion, Karen Lesch, in the final match.
The defending champion, Karen Lesch, would meet Laura Carson in the final match. Lesch would take an early lead, but a birdie on hole three for Carson would bring them back to square. Carson would carry the momentum and, after losing hole four, would win holes five and six, leaving her one up at the turn. Carson would not let up and continued on to claim the title of Super-Senior Match Play Champion. Carson beat Karen Lesch, 3 & 2.
Middle Division
Liz Boudreaux and Meredith Blinn would face off against each other in the final match. Blinn would claim the match 2 & 1.
In the Middle First, Cheryl Sadlon would compete against Leslie Sistla. Sadlon would beat Sistla 2 up, taking the match all the way to 18.
Forward Division
Gay Miller would encounter Jennifer Rushmore in the final match of the Middle Division. Rushmore would continue her reign and win the match 2 & 1.
In the Forward first, Heidi Rafferty would meet Tiffany Benedetto in the final match. Benedetto took home the win in the forward first division, beating Rafferty 3 & 2.
Consolation Matches
Championship Consolation
Susan Temple would beat out Shauna Snyder, winning the match 4 & 3.
Super-Senior Championship Consolation
Beth Anders would face Jill Rippe, Rippe would claim the match 3 & 2
Middle Consolation
Lori Collins would meet Liz Breza, Collins would beat Breza 3 & 2.
Middle First Consolation
Sharon Bagnati would play Martha Noble. Noble would take home the match on the last to win 2 up.
Forward Consolation
Linda Davis would compete against Lisa Champagne. Davis would win her match 3 & 2.
Forward First Consolation
Candie Rainey would face off against Karen Duffy. Rainey would reign supreme and win 4 & 3.
