Sabrina Coffman of Toledo, Ohio, and Jacqueline Setas of East Lansing, Michigan, each finished the stroke-play portion of the 37th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at 3 over to tie for medalist honors.
They’re two of the 64 golfers who advanced to the match-play drama at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Massachusetts.
Among those who made the Round of 64 is Alexandra Austin of Fairfax, Virginia, who is six months pregnant. She tied for third in stroke play and was the fourth seed for match play, where she won her Monday match against Olivia Herrick of Hugo, Minnesota, 4 and 3.
Austin was a quarterfinalist at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, earning her an exemption this year, and now she’s moving on to the Round of 32 in the 14th of 16 USGA championships in 2024.
“I’m not surprised that she’s playing well. When I was pregnant, I found it to be some of the best ballstriking I’ve ever had because of how your body is, and you have a good idea of where your center of gravity is. I wasn’t hitting it as far, but it was some of the best ballstriking, so it doesn’t surprise me at all that she’s playing well and hitting the ball well, and this is a course where you really need to do that,” said two-time champion Julia Potter-Bobb on Austin’s success in this year’s event.
The championship concludes Thursday with an 18-hole final.