Meg Tilma wins the Kansas Women's Amateur by one at Wichita CC

Meg Tilma of Wichita claimed the Kansas Women's Amateur Championship with a one-stroke victory at Wichita Country Club, closing with a 71 to finish even-par 213. Tilma, who opened with 76 before firing a brilliant second-round 66, steadied herself Thursday with a balanced final round—37 out, 34 in—to hold off a charging final-round field.

Kinslea Jones of Wichita and Stalee Fields of Lantana, Texas, tied for second at 1-over 214. Playing a group in front of the leaders, Jones posted the day's low round with a 66 (34-32), matching Tilma's second-round score, while Fields closed with 70 (33-37). Fields, playing alongside Tilma in the final group, took a one-shot lead through 15 holes.

Then Tilma took charge. She hit a risky 2-iron approach from 220 yards to the par-5 16th and two-putted for birdie. Then, she hit her tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 17th and converted the putt for a second birdie, flipping her place on the leaderboard. And it stayed that way, giving Tilma the title she wanted to add to her family's Kansas golf legacy. (see below)

Kate Tilma of Eastborough (Meg's sister and the 2020 champ) finished T5 at 4-over 217 after a final-round 67, the tournament's lowest score. The win marks Meg Tilma's first Kansas Women's Amateur title at her home course, where she navigated the 54-hole test with consistent ball-striking and a clutch back-nine 34 when it mattered most.

The victory meant a lot to Tilma, as the Wichita Eagle reported:

Her even-par total of 213 placed her alongside her mother and sister in the most decorated family legacies in Kansas golf. “I wanted to win so bad because this tournament is such a huge deal to my family,” Tilma said.

“And I wanted to be a part of that.” Nearly four decades after Cathy (Stevens) Tilma won her first of four Kansas Women’s Amateur titles on the same course, Meg earned her own engraving on the trophy. Her older sister, Kate, won the championship in 2020. Her grandfather, uncle and cousin have their names on the men’s Kansas Amateur trophy. Cathy and her cousin, Sam Stevens, both won at Wichita Country Club.

“Our family just loves Kansas golf,” Cathy said. “So it’s very special for Meg to win this tournament and to win on this course.

Meg Tilma of Wichita surged into the lead at the Kansas Women's Amateur Championship, posting a second-round 66—ten strokes better than her opening 76 and the lowest score of the week. The Wichita native sits at even-par 142 through 36 holes at Wichita Country Club, one clear of Columbia's Tierney Baumstark (71-72-143) and two ahead of Stalee Fields of Lantana, Texas (72-72-144). Tilma's sister Kate finished ninth at this event in 2024. Round 3 tee times begin at 9:40 AM with Tilma grouped alongside Baumstark and Fields.

Tilma just finished her freshman year at the University of Oklahoma, where she competes on the DI women's team.