Recap Courtesy of NCGA
Irvine resident Maggie Ma isn't the youngest winner ever, but she's certainly one of them.
Ma, still just 14, captured the biggest women's amateur prize in the Golden State, defeating runner-up Michelle Woo, 2 and 1, to win the 60th California Women's Amateur Championship on Friday at El Macero CC in Davis.
Mina Harigae, who won the event in 2021 at the age of 12 before later joining the LPGA Tour, is the event's youngest champion. Angel Yin won in 2010 at the age of 12, just a few months older than Harigae. Along with Harigae and Yin, Ma joins a list of past champions that includes Patty Sheehan and Juli Inkster.
She also earned an automatic spot into the upcoming U.S. Women's Amateur, set for Aug. 4-9 at The Honors Course in Tennessee.
"I feel really excited and really happy. I came here just wanting to make the cut," said Ma, who was the 9th seed and will be a freshman at Crean Lutheran High. "Winning this makes me feel even happier."
For Ma, it was all about the back nine in the final. Through the first nine, Woo, a 19-year-old sophomore at Cal-Berkeley, built a 2-up lead thanks to back-to-back birdies at holes Nos. 7 and 8.
But then everything changed. On the par-4 11th, Ma made a 6-foot putt for par to win the hole. A hole later on the 12th, Ma made a birdie to tie the match.
It was only the start of Ma's charge, the demise of Woo. On the ensuing 13th, Ma made another birdie to take a 1-up lead. On the 14th, Woo made another bogey, giving Ma a 2-up lead. On the par-5 15th, Ma won yet again, making a birdie to Woo's par. With her back against the wall, Woo won the 16th hole, but the two tied the 17th hole, sealing the win for Ma. Over her eight holes on the back nine, Ma shot 30.
"The course was a little long for me, so for my approach shots it wouldn't spin as much, and the fairways are really narrow. So I thought of just hitting the fairways and making birdie," Ma said.
Woo, the No.31 seed, had been the event's Cinderella.
"I played really well this week and exceeded my expectations," Woo said. "There are still a lot of positives for me to take into the season, which is coming up soon."
Ma entered the final having had her mettle tested. In her four matches before the final, the multiple AJGA champion had each match reach at least 17 holes.
During her run, she'd literally be helped by an Angel--that being her caddie and part-time instructor, Angel Martinez. Martinez has been coaching her since 2021.
"Maggie is relentless," Martinez said. "She knows her game."
"My putting was really good because I had my coach, Angel," said Ma, who began playing at age 7. "We had a lot of fun out there. If we struggled on one hole, we would just focus on the next hole."