It was a picture perfect finish to the 100th Women’s Iowa Amateur contested at Sunnyside Golf and Country Club in Waterloo.

Hawkeye golfer Paula Miranda (pictured right) sealed the deal as her birdie putt on 18 dropped in the center of the cup Wednesday evening. Miranda shot rounds of 74 (+2) and a pair of 72s for rounds two and three.

Miranda credited patience to her success after finishing round one over par.

“I wanted to take it one day at a time, I was three shots behind after the first round and knew I had to go out there and play better. I struggled with the greens the first day and I knew I had to fix that,” Miranda said.

Leading up to the 18th hole Miranda had a tester four footer for par on the par-3 17th and knew she had to make that.

“I knew it would be a big mistake to leave that putt short, so I just took a deep breath,” she said.

This marks back-to-back years the Iowa Women’s Amateur trophy will stay in Iowa City.

“Really proud I could make that happen. We were all proud of Kate last year, so it is pretty special we get to have it for another year,” Miranda also added.

Along with capturing the Fladoos Trophy, Miranda also received an exemption into the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Runner-up honors belong to Iowa State University player Keeley Marx (pictured right) shooting a respectable 221 (+5). Not the outcome Marx hoped for, but she was still proud of the way she fought.

“I struggled out there a little the last two days, but really happy with how I finished the last round. It was an amazing course and I am glad I got to go out there and play,” Marx said.

This tournament was an ultimate test for players and showed to be mentally draining.

“I thought this tournament was really mentally draining. It was tough getting up early, driving an hour and a half to get here, finishing at 8:30, but that is what you just have to do,” Marx added.

University of Northern Iowa’s own Anna Jensen (pictured left) climbed up the leaderboard during the final round as the only player to card an under par round. Jensen carded an impressive 69 (-3) for the day and it was credited to playing freely.

“Honestly I wanted to come out here and play the best I could and see what happens,” Jensen said.

Jensen saw herself taking it one shot at a time, hitting fairways, greens, and making putts.

“The goal for the day was to take it one shot at a time. First fairway, green, and then make the putt. That is what I did and everything just fell into place,” Jensen added.

Over the three rounds Jensen totaled for 223 (+7). Just one shot behind her finishing in fourth was no other than Drake University player Amber Henson. All four of Iowa’s major universities finished in the top four.

In the Open Division, going wire-to-wire, was none other than Waterloo’s very own Kelly Nelson (pictured right).

Nelson carded all three rounds of 78s’ finishing at 234 (+18). Nelson, as some may recall, has been crowned Champion in the Open-Division ‘13, ‘19, 21’, and now ‘24. Finishing in a tie for runner-up at 246 (+30) was Rosaline Kubesheski and Geri Huser.

Congratulations to both Marley Richter and Kim Fenstrman for getting a hole-in-one on the fourth hole during the second round of play!

Click here for full results

Seven Past Champions

In the first ten years of the Iowa Women’s Amateur, Lucile Robinson dominated the championship. Capturing five titles in a six-year span, she was the player to beat. Had it not been for Dorothy Pardue of Sioux City, she would have collected six straight. Arriving at Cedar Rapids Country Club in 1930, all eyes were on Robinson and Pardue. Pardue was a household name across the nation and was the tenth-ranked female golfer in the entire United States. She wound up going toe to toe with the defending champion as the two worked their way through the tough country club track.

The two battled for each of the 36-hole final, often never leading by more than two holes. Many reported it was “the most spirited tournament ever engaged in by Iowa Women” and it showed. Momentum shifted quickly and often as the summer heat wore on. Steady iron play and an even steadier putter kept Pardue tight with the teenager from Des Moines. Pardue wasted little time making her presence known, beginning birdie-birdie jumping out to a quick two-up lead. Robinson battled back and overtook Pardue through the first nine holes, but as the dust settled on the first 18 holes, Pardue was back in the driver’s seat with a one-up lead. The pair continued to exchange wins throughout the afternoon round, but as they came to the 36^th and final hole, Pardue made another routine par en route to her first Iowa Women’s Amateur title. She added to her already established resume of a Women’s Western Championship, Minnesota State Amateur, and Florida Open title.

The 1930’s had been dominated by teenage victories at the Iowa Women’s Amateur. 1938 was more of the same as a 17-year-old captured the title, but it wasn’t Dubuque’s Edith Estabrooks. Instead, it was a new champion in Ottumwa’s Ruth Smith. Even at 17, Smith wasn’t intimidated by the much older and experienced competition she faced. The championship match featured a head-to-head battle against Nelle Staats, more than twice Smith’s age. Smith stuck with Staats through the first 18 holes and found herself trailing by just one as the pair entered the final 18.

Smith flipped the switch and put the pedal down during the afternoon round, blazing through the first 14 holes. Shaving off four strokes on the front nine from the morning to afternoon, Smith was on a mission. Squaring the match on the 21^st hole, the pair remained in a deadlock through 23 holes, Smith reeled off seven wins in the ensuing nine holes. Just a single loss and halve made up for the other two holes as Smith recorded a dominant 6 & 4 victory to raise the trophy. In just her second time teeing it up in the state’s top women’s event, Smith wrote her name in the record books on the short list of teenage champions.

The 1971 Iowa Women’s Amateur was a pivotal championship for the eventual winner, but also the runner-up. Melanie Schiller of Waterloo was just weeks away from moving to Chicago when she teed it up at Westwood Park Golf Course. Firing a final round of 77, Schiller took down the state’s top players, including the defending champion, Corkey Nydle. It also marked another close call for Nydle who still searched for the illusive successful title defense.

Strong iron play and swinging easy guided Schiller through each of the four rounds. Not looking at the leaderboard also aided the Waterloo native along the way. “I went out there for the final round with three things on my mind. I think I followed through” she would later say. Opening the final round with a 39 on the front nine, Schiller remained steady on the closing stretch where she posted 38. Saving her best for last, her approach shot came to rest just two feet from the hole for the closing birdie. In reflecting on her victory Schiller shared “I’m proud to be from Iowa and any tournament I win in the future, I’ll tell them I learned my golf in this state.”

Deb Lewis will never forget the 1984 Iowa Women’s Amateur. With the event being contested at one of the state’s top clubs, Des Moines Golf & Country Club, the field featured all of the best players. The Marshalltown resident was fresh off winning the Fort Dodge Eclectic title earlier in the week and kept the momentum rolling when arriving in Des Moines. After opening with a 78 and 81, she found herself trailing the leaders by six shots. Even with a large deficit, she never lost faith saying, “In the back of my mind I thought maybe I could catch them”.

The leaderboard was crowded early in the final round a plethora of players were within five strokes of the leaders. By the time play was finished, five different players either led or held a share of the lead during the final round. Lewis slowly plotted her way around the par-73 layout and saved her best for last. Birdies on two of the final four holes saw her jump into a share of the lead as her final putt dropped. Tied with Joan Fails, the 36-hole co-leader, the pair entered into a sudden-death playoff. Matching pars on the first playoff hole saw the duo head to the second hole where both were left with lengthy par putts. Neither would capitalize, but it would Lewis’ bogey that would capture the Fladoos trophy after an untimely miss from Fails to extend the playoff. Her final round 75 tied the low round of the day by an impressive three strokes.

Ann Slater entered the 1996 Iowa Women’s Amateur with plenty on her mind. Slater’s mother was in the hospital recovering from brain surgery the month prior during the first two rounds and had been released during the final round. Even with it on her mind, Slater kept her head down and focused on taking it one shot at a time. Opening up the championship with back-to-back rounds of 72, she took a one-shot lead into the final round.

Just a year removed from being in the third flight, Slater teed off the final round in the last group with nothing to lose and no expectations. The only real prediction she had was that she would eagle the par-five 11^th hole. After a high towering three wood found the putting surface, Slater rolled in the 20-foot putt to rejoin the lead with just seven holes to play. The following hole, she drained her second straight 20-foot putt, this time for par, to regain the solo lead of the championship. Her lead grew to three by the time she walked off the 16^th green. Standing on the tee of the 18^th hole, her lead was two shots and Slater admittedly had no idea where she was at on the leaderboard. Her final stroke of the day was a four-foot bogey putt that she calmly rolled in before finding the nearest phone to call her mom. Six-time champion Corkey Nydle presented Slater with her trophy saying “Now you can take this home and show it to her”.

If the 1999 Iowa Women’s Amateur were to be described with one word it would be dominant. M.C. Mullen roared past the rest of the field during her record-setting victory 25 years ago at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids. Opening up the event with a four-under-par 68, the Peosta native led by six strokes. That was only the beginning as she followed it up with an even-par 72 to double her lead to 12 strokes entering the final round.

With the Fladoos trophy in sight and the rest of the field in the rearview, Mullen was focused on chasing down the Elmcrest course record of five-under 67. With birdies on 9 and 10, she was two-under with eight to play. Another birdie on the par-five 15^th saw Mullen reach three-under and within striking distance of the record. Two late bogies derailed her chance at the course record but two other records were secured. She set both the largest margin of victory, 19 strokes, and the lowest 54-hole total. Her 54-hole total broke the previous record set by Iowa golf legend Jacque Fladoos of 219.

The 99th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City was a thrilling event, with the outcome undecided until the final hole. The leaderboard saw constant changes, with five players taking turns in the lead throughout the round. Ultimately, Hawkeye sophomore Kaitlyn Hanna emerged victorious on her home course to lift the Fladoos trophy. Hanna delivered a remarkable final round of one-under 71, matching the tournament’s lowest round, to overcome a four-stroke deficit and secure a one-stroke victory. Playing in the penultimate pairing, it was her dad who broke the exciting news to her.

The Hawkeye wasted no time cutting into the deficit, birdieing the second and fourth hole. Two bogies in a three-hole stretch brought her back to even on the day but she rebounded nicely with a birdie on the par-three 8^th to turn in one under 35. She played consistently on the back nine with two birdies and two bogeys to take control of the championship after the 15^th hole. With Finkbine known for its difficult closing stretch, Hanna finished with three straight pars to secure the win. It wasn’t without its drama, though.

Tied for the lead on the 18^th, she short-sided herself in the right rough. A spot that had given many of her fellow competitors fits, her home course advantage aided her as she successfully got up and down for par. Waiting to see how the last group finished, Hanna watched as a late bogey from Marshalltown’s Amber Henson left her atop the leaderboard. Reflecting on her win after a productive summer with her coaches, Hanna said, “It was great to cap it off with a win.”

Etched on the Thye & Fladoos Trophies

Winning an amateur tournament is not a small feat. However, women in Iowa have proven that they can do it, and some have done it multiple times throughout their careers. Iowa’s history is rich with individuals who have shown their passion and talent for the game throughout their entire career. Looking through history, their achievements have not only brought them personal glory but have also inspired generations to come who tee it up at the Iowa Girls’ Junior and Iowa Women’s Amateur.

In 1976, Dorea Mitchell kicked off her impressive amateur career. Shooting a four-round total of 301, Mitchell won the Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur. It was just the beginning for the Grinnell native. The following year, 1977, Mitchell successfully defended her title at Sac City Country Club. Even more impressive than her defense, was the way she did it. Posting 301, she captured the title by an astonishing 11 shots and was just one stroke off the championship record. It made sense as the 1977 championship was conducted at her home track of Grinnell Country Club.

Just a year later Mitchell was playing in the Iowa Women’s Amateur. The University of Oklahoma standout had a two-shot lead going into the final round. Even with her lead, it still came down to the final hole, but Mitchell refused to succumb to the pressure. On the 18th, Mitchell was able to hit a tee shot right in the fairway allowing her to get on the green and two-putt for par. Mitchell won the Iowa Women’s Amateur shooting 304, beating her opponent Bobbe Carney by two and etching her name on the Fladoos trophy.

Just two years later Michell was again in the 1980 Iowa Women’s Amateur. Playing in another nail-biter round, Mitchell got on an impressive birdie streak, allowing her to break away from the competition. Although Mitchell won the Amateur, she was most excited that her round included only 27 putts, and it significantly contributed to her championship victory.

Fast forward to 1997, a new name was emerging in Iowa golf: Patricia Martinson. She was already making a name for herself in Iowa and would be a prominent figure in college golf. Playing in, being the medalist on the Iowa Four-State team and winning the Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur in 1997, were just some of Martinson’s youth accomplishments. Her accomplishments would continue when she attended Charleston South University and was named Big South Champion and Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000.

Later in 2000, Martinson would compete in the Iowa Women’s Amateur, making it her sixth time participating. Just a year before Martinson had placed second in the 1999 Iowa Women’s Am, losing in a playoff to Stacy Berman. A year later the two were at it again, and Martinson was determined to come away with the victory. Not knowing where she stood throughout the round, it all came down to the last hole. Making a 5-foot putt for par secured the win for Martinson, and after five previous attempts, Martinson was an Iowa Women’s Amateur Champion. Apart from her amateur career, Martinson has an impressive resume away from the course. Martinson continued to give back to the game as she became a member of the LPGA and served as the University of North Carolina’s assistant head coach.

As Martinson’s success highlighted her perseverance and skillfulness, another golfer was preparing to make her mark on the Iowa golf scene. In 2002, there was a different type of championship. Sarah Gilbert, an Iowa State golfer, won the Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur in 1999, and three years later Gilbert was ready. Shooting a 75 on the first day, Gilbert sat fifth on the leaderboard. In the second round, Gilbert shot an impressive 68, the low round for the tournament. In her final round, Gilbert shot even par, making a runaway for the championship. She claimed her lone Iowa Women’s Amateur title dominantly, capturing a seven shot victory over future champion Jenny Heinz.

While Gilbert’s dominance was impressive, another inspiring story emerged on the Iowa golf scene. Many who win championships are lifelong players of the game. That was not the same for Sierra Hargens. Hargens was first a softball player but was inspired by her father to try and play the game. Her success was apparent when she won the 2015 Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur. Finding herself trailing first-round leader Karli Kerrigan by just a stroke, she opened up the back nine with an eagle on the par five 10^th to draw even. A birdie on the 13^th would put her ahead for good, as she captured the Betty Thye trophy by just a single stroke, and her first Iowa championship.

Two years later, the then-Indiana State University golfer was ready to win the Iowa Women’s Amateur. Taking it one shot at a time, Hargens was ready for the win. Holding onto the lead, Hargens looked poised to cruise through the back nine. An untimely double bogey opened the door for her closest opponents, but quickly regrouping, Hargens made the most of having wedge in her hand on the 17^th and 18^th. Closing with back-to-back birdies, the Cedar Rapids native secured her first Iowa Women’s Amateur title. Winning the event by four strokes, Hargens showed that it is not always experience that helps you, but confidence and grit.

Additional champions of both the Iowa Junior Girls’ and Iowa Women’s Amateur include:
Jessie Sindlinger
Kristin Paulson
Jenny Heinz
Becky Biehl
Susan Shinn
Melanie Schuller
Jacque Fladoos
Sharon Fladoos
Andy Cohn

Next Week on Women’s Wednesday…

Closing out the final weekly feature, look back on seven past champions and the mark they made on the Iowa Women’s Amateur.

Five Who Went Back-To-Back

Successfully defending an Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship title is exceptionally challenging due to the high level of competition from skilled golfers across the state. Each year, new and returning participants bring their best game, raising the bar higher and higher. Weather conditions vary greatly, adding an unpredictable element that tests even the most seasoned players. Mental and physical stamina are crucial, as the pressure to maintain top performance can be intense. Achieving back-to-back victories is a testament to a golfer’s consistency, resilience, and exceptional talent, making it an impressive and rare feat.

Elisabeth Waterman

When the Iowa Women’s Amateur began in 1922, many wondered who would be the first champion to successfully defend her title. Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to wait long as Elisabeth Waterman accomplished the difficult feat in just the fourth edition of the championship.

During the 1924 Iowa Women’s Amateur, Cedar Rapids Country Club was host to the top female golfers the state of Iowa has to offer. Waterman, of Davenport, collected the first win of the week after capturing medalist honors during the first round with an 88. At the time, papers reported that her 88 was “said to be the best score ever made by a woman on the difficult course.” It was only the beginning for Waterman that week as she skillfully worked her way through the match play bracket, securing a spot in the finals against Mrs. F.C. Buyers. The two battled throughout the entire match, as neither held a lead greater than one up.

Buyers often got the better of Waterman, but she refused to quit. She continued to find ways to tie the match, often the hole following a win from Buyers. The pair remained level through 18 holes and trudged on to the 19^th with the championship on the line. Waterman captured the 19^th hole and her first of two straight Iowa Women’s Amateur titles.

Returning to the championship in 1925, all eyes were on Waterman as everyone flocked to Sunnyside Country Club. During the second round of match play, Waterman was nearly defeated by Francis Drake before a late rally kept her title defense alive. Many said that after her rally and defeat of Drake, it was “practically conceded that she would retain the championship.” They were right. Her final match was against A.C. Clapp but a hot start from the defending champ left little doubt as to who would raise the trophy. Holding a three-up lead at the turn, it seemed the match would end quickly in favor of Waterman. Clapp, however, had different plans. She rallied to win the 10^th, 11^th, and 13^th, but a loss on 12^th and 15^th dashed her hopes. Waterman recomposed herself during the back nine, and captured the 15^th and final hole to secure her second Iowa Women’s Amateur titles. She didn’t know it yet, but she would become the first of seven champions to successfully defend their titles at Sunnyside Country Club. 

Elizabeth Curtis

Entering the 1927 Iowa Women’s Amateur, Elizabeth Curtis had never played in a golf championship. Growing up at Clinton Country Club, Curtis has played her fair share of friendly matches during her five years of learning the game. Teeing it up at Wakonda Club, many didn’t know Curtis’ name at the start of the week. By the end of it, everyone knew who she was.

Her championship match against Mrs. Byers was one of the most dominant performances in Iowa Women’s Amateur history. With a three-up lead through five, Curtis refused to let up, watching her lead grow with wins on the sixth through the ninth, taking a seven-up lead at the turn. The 18-hole championship match was decided on the 11^th green, as the pair tied the hole and Curtis claimed an 8 & 7 victory making the first of two titles.

Teeing it up at Arsenal Golf Club in 1928, Curtis once again performed well in the championship match. Battling against Frances Drake, Curtis got off to a dream start with a three-under-par front nine. Her stellar play saw her amass a four-up lead through nine holes where it would remain until closing out the match on the 15^th green. Credited with long drives and pinpoint accuracy with her irons, Curtis’ play further etched her into Iowa Golf History as the second successful title defense in the championship.

Betsy Bro

Entering the final round of the 1985 Iowa Women’s Amateur, Betsy Bro found herself one stroke behind the leaders and needing to make a move up the leaderboard. Finding herself in the penultimate pairing, Bro meticulously plotted her way around the front nine of Green Valley Golf Club. Turning in one over par, she found herself tied for the lead with Chris Cervetti-Kiel heading to the back. With a closing nine of even par 36, Bro eagerly waited in the clubhouse wondering if it would be enough. Even when others began to congratulate her, she quickly responded “as long as Chris is still out there it isn’t over. She’s tough”. Needing a miracle on the 18^th, Cervetti-Kiel made a bogey allowing Bro to capture her second Iowa Women’s Amateur title in three years. The victory would kickstart an impressive three-year run for Bro in which she lifted the Fladoos trophy annually.

The story of the 1986 Iowa Women’s Amateur was Mother Nature. Heavy rain storms on the final day forced the championship to be condensed from 54-holes down to 36-holes. Despite the weather challenges, Bro’s exceptional play during the first two rounds would be enough as she claimed a one-stroke victory over Tera Fleischman and Cervettit-Kiel. After trailing by two following an opening round 77, Bro bounced back with a 75. Consistent rain over the second and third day of the championship may have derailed the competition, but Bro remained steady for her first successful title defense.

Bro achieved her third consecutive Iowa Women’s Amateur title in 1987 at Mason City Country Club. She demonstrated the same skill and consistency that she had in years prior, finishing with a five-shot win over the runner-up, Barb Thomas. Bro’s final round score of 73, which was one of the best of the tournament, helped secure her fourth overall victory. Her two previous victories had been small margins, but 1987 marked the first time she would have to go into a playoff to claim the title.

Holding a three-shot lead heading into the final round, Bro remained ahead of the field through the 12^th. By the time she put the flag in on the 15^th, she was joined at the top by Ann Vandermillen. The pair remained tied heading to the 18^th hole, but Bro would have a five-foot birdie putt to capture the win. She would go on to miss and force extra holes against Vandermillen. The pair exchanged pars on the first two playoff holes, but Bro wasn’t ready to give up. Staring down a 30-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole, Bro drained it, capturing her third consecutive and fourth overall title. “It was a great way to win it. I love competition like this. We were really going back and forth,” Bro later said. Five years later, Bro would once again return to the winner’s circle, capturing her fifth Iowa Women’s Amateur title at Pleasant Valley Golf Course.

Ann Vandermillen

Annie (Vandermillen) Albrecht was back for revenge in 1988 at Spencer Golf and Country Club. A year prior, Annie had almost reached the pinnacle of women’s golf in Iowa: an Iowa Women’s Amateur title, but fell just short in a sudden death playoff against Betsy Bro. The 1987 win was Bro’s third Iowa Women’s Amateur victory in a row and a tough pill to swallow for Vandermillen. However, she used the experience to play with fire in the 1988 contest. She left few questions unanswered as to who would win the title, winning by six strokes and having enough of a cushion to bogey three of the last four holes en route to the title. The taste of winning was much sweeter than what she had experienced a year before and too sweet to stop.

Vandermillen won the Iowa Women’s Amateur again in 1989 at Wakonda Club in Des Moines. Wakonda Club proved to be a difficult test for the field, but the Dubuque native battled it out for three days and came out on top by two strokes. Vandermillen would not be back to defend her title once again in 1990 as her golf game was taking on a new challenge. Coming off a successful college career at Wichita State University in 1989, highlighted by a 1987 Gateway Conference title and four selections to the all-conference team, she went on to play professionally on the Future’s Golf Tour (now named the Epson Tour). Vandermillen has since been named to the Missouri Valley women’s golf all-time team.

Megan Furnish

Cedar Rapids native Megan Furnish was in unchartered territory at the 2013 Iowa Women’s Amateur. The Missouri State standout was tied for the lead heading into the final round and was joined by two-time past champion Jenny Heinz. She’d earned her way into the final pairing by firing the low round of the championship with a 1-over-par 73. Even more remarkable about her second round was the fact that she had a triple bogey on the seventh hole. Her final round four-over 76 was enough to fend off not only Heinz but Alex Zenor, who fired the low round of the day with two-over 74. Her maiden victory was earned by two strokes, but her title defense wouldn’t be as easy, having to survive a two-hole playoff.

Opening the championship with back-to-back rounds of 74, Furnish found herself leading by one over Heinz and Christy Nelson. Paired with Heinz and Nelson, Furnish had a front row seat to see where she stood. As Heinz faltered, Nelson pressed on, matching Funish on nearly every hole. By the time the pair reached the 18^th, they were deadlocked. Beginning the playoff on the first, the pair exchanged pars. After Nelson failed to make par on the second playoff hole, Furnish calmly rolled in her five-foot par save. She had become just the 15^th player of all time to successfully defend her title at the Iowa Women’s Amateur.

Next Week on Women’s Wednesday…

Capturing both the Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur and the Iowa Women’s Amateur is a rare and remarkable achievement. Look at four duplicate winners who have etched their names on both the Betty Thye and Fladoos Family trophies.