The opening round of the 2026 Arizona Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is in the books, and Moon Valley Country Club has already delivered a competitive start to one of AZ GOLF's premier female events.
This three-day championship features 54 holes of stroke play for women aged 25 and older, with the coveted Kachina trophy awaiting the champion at the conclusion of Saturday’s final round. As the first women’s major championship on AZ GOLF’s 2026 schedule, the event has drawn a strong field ready to set the tone for the year.
After day one, Suzi Spotleson sits atop the leaderboard at 2-over-par. Her round included an impressive four birdies, offset by six bogeys, but was steady enough to secure the early lead heading into Friday’s second round.
Close behind, just one stroke back at 3-over-par, is Samantha Postillion, whose connection to the course goes beyond casual weekend play. As the Membership Director at Moon Valley, Postillion estimates she plays the course about twice a month, experience that could prove valuable as the tournament progresses.
Despite that familiarity, Postillion acknowledged that competition brings a different kind of challenge.
“It’s always tougher to compete,” she said. “I got in my head on one of the par-3’s early on, but then after that, because I was over par, I got more comfortable with my normal game again. I played the final 13 holes under par so that was nice.”
Her strong finish keeps her firmly in contention, though she’s already identified an area of focus heading into round two.
“I need to get in the rough a little bit on the range,” Postillion said. “I had to call a penalty on myself today because the ball moved and I felt a little uneasy in the rough the rest of the day.”
With two rounds remaining, the leaderboard remains tight and the Kachina trophy very much up for grabs. The championship resumes Friday morning before a winner is crowned on Saturday.
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