Winning the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship requires a combination of skill and fortitude, both mental and physical, through eight rounds of golf over six days. On Wednesday at historic Brae Burn Country Club, two players broke through with late surges in the semifinal round to procure their spots in Thursday morning’s 18-hole final.
Lindsay Gahm, 32, of Louisville, Ky., rallied from two holes down against 2015 champion Lauren Greenlief, 33, of Ashburn, Va., capturing four consecutive holes on the incoming nine to post a 2-and-1 victory. In the other semifinal match, Hana Ryskova, 25, of the Czech Republic, built an early 4-up lead, only to trail by one hole thanks to a barrage of four birdies by opponent Alexandra Vilatte Farret, of France. Ryskova steadied herself and won the par-4 18th hole with a par, then prevailed with another par on the 22nd hole of the match.