After a five-year hiatus, Kelly Ly resurfaces to win SCGA Women's Mid-Amateur
3/1/2023 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for SCGA Women's Mid-Amateur, The Country Club of Rancho Bernardo
A red-hot final round leads Ly to her first SCGA championship at Mesa Verde CC
Prior to this week's Southern California Golf Association's Women's Mid-Amateur at Mesa Verde Country Club, Ly's last competitive tournament came in the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur where she was eliminated in the first round of match play.
Shortly thereafter her early exit from Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Ly stepped away from competitive golf.
However, there was a Kelly Ly sighting at the SCGA Women's Amateur in Costa Mesa and guess what? She won it.
After an opening round 77, the native of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam rolled back the clocks and shot a second round 71 to finish at 6-over 148, which was good for a two-stroke victory over Leanne Craig of Palos Verdes, Calif.
Ly's final round got off to a blazing start as she collected birdies on five of her first seven holes to take control of the tournament. She was 3-under at the turn and enjoyed a three-stroke lead over a trio of past SCGA champions, Monica Martin, Leanne Craig and Eunice Cho.
Birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 quickly extinguished her pursuer's title hopes as Ly walked home with her first-ever SCGA championship.
“I was quite nervous on the first tee shot. I tried to keep it together,” Ly said. “I came out to have fun with my caddie and all a sudden, I played amazing. At one point I was like, ‘Maybe we can get this thing.'
“I’m very, very happy,” Ly said. “I didn’t plan to win but I came here to play, had fun and I’m quite nervous right now and excited that I took home this trophy."
There may be more Kelly Ly sightings in the future.
"I’m looking forward to playing more SCGA events, especially this one as defending champion.”
The SCGA contributed to this report.
About the SCGA Women's Mid-Amateur
The SCGA Women's Mid-Amateur Championship is open to female amateur golfers with a USGA Handicap Index of 9.4 and below at the time of registration. The Championship is contested over two days and participants compete in individual stroke play conduc...
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