SCOTTSDALE – Arizona State University senior Ashley Menne showed the grit, perseverance and skill that has earned her multiple Player of the Year awards in every level of Arizona amateur golf, shooting a composed +1 (73) to win her third career Arizona Women’s Amateur Championship at Desert Highlands. Menne’s overall score of -3 was two shots better than Goodyear’s Abbey Schutte, and five shots better than Mesa’s Sydney Bryan. Click here to view the final leaderboard.
“I definitely had a rougher go at it today than the last couple days – I just could not get a putt to drop,” said the 2020 and 2021 Champion Menne, 21, of Surprise. “It’s great to have a little momentum and get some tournament rounds in before going back into season because the competition is tight, and we play really good golf courses. I would say this 100% prepares me just to be in that position of being in contention.”
19-year-old Kaya Kshatriya of Scottsdale captured the overall Net Championship, earning her first Kachina following net scores of 71-75-68 for -2 overall. A sophomore student at the University of Arizona after playing golf at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Kshatriya stuck to what she knows best to come out on top.
“It feels really good, it was just really fun being out there and playing a really nice course – the fairways were really nice and the greens were rolling really well,” said Kshatriya, the 2021 Maricopa Junior Champion. “It was a lot of pars, keeping the ball in play, being conservative off the tee and hitting greens. My putting was really good today so that helped me stay consistent.”
The 62-player field was split into three flights – Championship, First and Second – with Gross and Net Divisions. University of Arizona junior Bryan captured the Championship Flight Net Division at -1, with Simi Valley-native Cheyanne Stewart in second at +2 and University of Colorado at Boulder freshman Carolyn Fuller one stroke back in third at +3.
Kshatriya won the First Flight Gross Division at +16, while 2022 Overall Net Champion Shannon Mason won the First Flight Net Division at +3, including a final-round net -3 (69). In the Second Flight, Lisa O’Donnell of Tucson swept Gross and Net honors.
But no one could catch Menne during three grueling days of golf in 100-plus degree weather with humidity and gusting winds. Standing on the 18th tee with a two shot-lead in the final round, Menne hit her tee shot behind a bush in the native area right of the fairway, and had to punch out into the fairway for her second shot. Her third shot advanced up the fairway, but her fourth sailed over the green 20-feet past the flag. Needing to get it close to slam the door shut on Schutte, Menne proceeded to make her chip for par, leaving Schutte no opportunity to make up the two-shot deficit.
“I was glad that I was able to pull through,” said Menne, the 2021 Arizona Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year. “I love to chip, so I’m glad my chipping saved me today.”
Desert Highlands returns to the forefront of Arizona amateur golf starting Monday, August 7, for the first stroke play qualifying round of the 99th Arizona Amateur Championship. Click here for more information.
