On July 14th, 107 golfers will tee it up at The Club at Old Hawthorne for the 71st MWGA Women’s Amateur Championship in one of the most competitive fields in recent years.   

Many of Missouri’s best players are returning from their collegiate seasons at the University of Nebraska, Penn State, Furman, Southern Illinois and the University of Missouri ready to play for the Missouri Women’s Amateur title. 

Other programs represented this year are Bradley University, Drury, William Woods, UM-KC, and William and Mary.   Chelsea Schriewer of St. Charles will be defending her title at the Tigers’  home course after completing her senior year at the University of Missouri, and will meet challengers such as last year’s runner up, Ellen Port of St. Louis.   Mrs. Port is attempting her seventh Amateur title (’92,’95, 2000 -2003) and if successful will tie Karen Schull MacGee of Kansas City for a record seven wins.   

Other possible contenders include Lacy Shelton of Overland Park, KS who recently won the KC Women’s Amateur as well as Mary Ann Beattie of Chesterfield, the 2009 MWGA Senior Champion.  Kelly Osborne of Penn State hopes to improve on her third place finish last year while standout Missouri junior Hanule Seo of St. Louis plays her first Amateur championship in preparation for golf at Penn State.   Five Missouri team members will be in the field along with their assistant coach, Mindy Bullard-Coyle. 

Director of Golf, Jeff Whitfield and his staff and volunteers at The Club at Old Hawthorne are preparing for an exciting championship during July 14 – 16 in Columbia.  The 5,842 yard Amateur Championship layout has laser leveled tees that often give players blind shots to generous zoysia fairways dotted with sand bunkers.  The quick, tiered bentgrass greens await lengthy approach shots… The most difficult putting challenge on the course is represented by hole #16 and will test the leaders coming down the stretch. 

In addition to the sterling silver Champion’s trophy, the Ludlow trophy will be presented to the low Junior, and a Team Trophy is given to two players representing their clubs or organizations in the field.  The top ten players from the Amateur are also chosen to represent Missouri in the Fore State Team Championship against Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas being held at Auburn Hills in Wichita, KS during August 9-11th.  New for 2009, a companion tournament named the Mid Missouri Tournament, will also be played on a 5,122 yard course where players of a handicap index of 10.5 or greater will be competing for their trophy.