Megan Schofill, a fifth-year player at Auburn, pulled away from close friend Latanna Stone to win the championship match, 4 and 3, capturing the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur on Sunday at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
With her boyfriend C.J. Easley on the bag, Schofill cruised through stroke play to become the No. 6 seed and had a couple of easy match-play victories before embarking on a magical run to the title.
The Monticello, Florida, resident beat Australia’s Caitlin Peirce in 19 holes during the round of 16, took down Anna Davis, the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals and then had more late heroics to win her semifinal match over Michigan’s Hailey Borja to reach the title against Stone.
The final match was nip and tuck early on, but Schofill created separation when she won three consecutive holes just before the lunch break. The deficit was cut to 2 down on multiple occasions, but it would end as yet another heartbreak for Stone, the LSU golfer who blew a late lead in the 2022 ANWA. Stone fought through a leg injury during the tournament and couldn’t muster much momentum late in the final match, a sour end to a week that included standout victories over Rachel Heck and Rachel Kuehn.
When Schofill won, she broke down in tears and shared a long embrace with Auburn coach Melissa Luellen. It’s a huge moment for Schofill, the No. 21 amateur in the world. She played well this past college season, winning the Mason Rudolph Championship and finishing runner-up in the SEC Championship, but Schofill lacked national amateur victories outside of college.
“It’s definitely a dream come true, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t still in shock,” Schofill said. “I feel like it still hasn’t set in yet. Latanna played a great match. It was fun to walk the fairways with her, and I thought we both played really solid golf. I feel like I can’t put into words the emotions I’m feeling.”
The daughter of famous jai alai player Billy Schofill, Megan did not play competitive golf until age 13 and was not on recruiting radars until late in her high school career. Coming from a small town just outside of Tallahassee, Florida, Schofill slowly worked her way up the world rankings and has become one of the most consistent amateurs in the world since 2020. Her success played a role in getting Davis, a highly touted junior from California, to commit to Auburn.
What’s next for Schofill? School starts Wednesday in Alabama.
RESULTS
Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ontario, shot a final-round 2-under 70 to cruise to a five-stroke victory in the 118th Canadian Amateur on Thursday at The Pulpit Club in Caledon Village, Ontario.
The Michigan State golfer registered rounds of 69-68-70-70, making him the only player in the field to post under-par scores in all four rounds.
“It feels amazing. A lot of hard work has gone into this over many years of golf. I have so many people to thank that are such big role models in my life and that have propelled me to this point,” McCulloch said. “I can’t thank enough people and Golf Canada for running this event. It was a lot of fun, and I’m happy to play well this week.”
McCulloch was in a tight race with Caleb VanArragon during the final round until VanArragon carded a triple bogey on the par-4 11th and a double bogey on No. 18. McCulloch birdied No. 11 to grab a four-stroke lead and never relented.
“I mean I’m really proud of myself. I got off to a slow start yesterday and just willed the ball in the hole a couple times on the back," McCulloch said. “Today, I kept on saying to my best friend on the bag, the gas pedal is on the right … gotta keep on going and they’ll fall, and I just kept hitting good shots and got lucky enough they went close enough that I could make them.”
By winning the Canadian Amateur, McCulloch earned a spot into the PGA Tour’s 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton (Ontario) Golf and Country Club. McCulloch also was given a $1,200 check.
Sean Fairholm