LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – She took the lead on day two and never looked back. With a score of +4 over three rounds at Wigwam Golf Club – Red Course, Kirsty Hodgkins secured her second consecutive AGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Early in round two, Hodgkins took the lead with a solid front nine that featured three birdies. It was the antithesis of her front nine on Monday in which she fell behind the field after four bogeys; making the turn helped Hodgkins regain some composure for the rest of the tournament.
“It’s almost like when you step off nine, you get a chance to reset,” Hodgkins said. “It’s my first tournament back in quite a few months, so I knew there were going to be a couple of bumps along the way. You’ve just got to keep your cool and know that you can play golf and you’ve done it before.”
Kirsty Hodgkins hits a tee shot during the final round of the 2024 AGA Women's Mid-Amateur Championship (Photo by Alex Johnson)
Although she never gave up the lead after taking it early in round two, the tournament came down to the wire. Hodgkins entered the final round with a one-stroke lead and decided that ‘boring’ golf would be the key to securing the championship; she did just that, with the lone birdie of round three coming on hole 7.
“Honestly, just hold it,” Hodgkins said about her approach heading into the final round. “Just make pars, don’t do anything crazy, try not to make too many bogeys. Just play boring golf.”
The reigning AGA Women’s Player of the Year, Hodgkins has dominated the women’s division since making her AGA debut last June. Today’s win marks her third championship win in 11 months; she also becomes the first player ever to win back-to-back Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships.
In addition to Hodgkins’ win as the overall gross champion, Jennifer Niebling (even par to net score) earned the Net Championship.
2024 AGA Women's Mid-Amateur Net Champion Jennifer Niebling (Photo by Alex Johnson)