Pikesville, Md. – The final round of the 26th Maryland Women’s Open presented by Toyota teed off in the morning on Tuesday, October 7. The leaderboard was top-heavy with professionals aiming for the title, with only two amateurs in the top twelve after round one. However, despite a professional-loaded leaderboard, the tournament would produce a result that hasn’t happened since 2020.
Round 1 Recap
After round one of the 26th Maryland Women’s Open at the Suburban Club, Ana Ferrerya Heit led with a score of 1-under 71, just ahead of Taylor Babcock at even-par 72. Only five shots separated the top ten competitors, including several ties for position. In the Senior division, Joy Bonhurst built a four-stroke lead with a 2-over 74 heading into the final round.
Final Round
The final round of the Maryland Women’s Open began with clear skies and still air, setting up for ideal golf conditions. However, it wouldn’t take long for the winds to pick up, making the playing conditions more difficult, but also creating an opportunity for some to move up the leaderboard.
Molly Holbert made the largest move on the leaderboard in the final round after posting an 81 in her first round. Holbert tallied four birdies and played significantly cleaner golf, posting just two bogeys for a round two score of 2-under-par 70. Her final round play ultimately shot her ten spots up the leaderboard into a seventh-place finish with a total score of 151.
Ami Gianchandani used consistent play across both rounds, posting scores of 2-over-par 74 in both of her rounds to total 148 for the tournament. Gianchandani carded a birdie on the third hole, but found trouble in the middle of her round with four bogeys. With a birdie on hole 15, Gianchandani was able to finish her Maryland Women’s Open on a high note.
By the end of the tournament, three players would find themselves tied for first place. After posting a strong 1-under-par 71 in her first round, Ana Ferreyra Heit turned in a 3-over-par 75 in her final round, giving her a tournament total of 146. Paige Gross posted back-to-back scores of 1-over-par 73 en route to her 146 tournament total. Lastly, Hailey Katona finished at even-par 72 in her final round, a two-stroke improvement over her first round score of 74, and good enough to put her into a playoff with Ferreyra Heit and Gross.
Hole 18 would be the stage for the three-way playoff between Ferreyra Heit, Gross, and Katona. The trio each recorded pars on the first playoff hole. Both Gross and Katona were able to record pars on the second playoff hole, but Ferreyra Heit was unable to match their scores, knocking her out of the playoff.
The third playoff hole began with Gross hitting her tee shot into the trees on the right side of the fairway, while Katona successfully placed her tee shot along the right edge of the fairway. For her approach shot, Katona was able to land the ball pin high, setting herself up for a birdie chance. Meanwhile, Gross struggled with her position among the trees, having to take an additional stroke to get her ball to the green.
Ultimately, Katona converted on her putt for birdie, securing the 26th Maryland Women’s Open title. With this victory, Katona becomes the first amateur to win the Maryland Women’s Open since Xiaolin Tian won the tournament in 2020. Katona also received the Low Amateur honor with her victory.
Joy Bonhurst poses with the Senior division trophy for the 26th Maryland Women’s Open presented by Toyota.
Katona was not the only player to take home hardware. In the Senior division of the 26th Maryland Women’s Open, Joy Bonhurst dominated the rest of the division. Bonhurst turned in a first-round score of 2-over-par 74, giving her a four-stroke advantage over her competitors.
Bonhurst continued her strong play into the final round. She would go on to card a 5-over-par 77, giving her a tournament total of 151. Her stellar play secured the Senior division win in the 26th Maryland Women’s Open presented by Toyota.
The Maryland State Golf Association would like to thank the membership and staff at The Suburban Club for their hospitality in hosting this MSGA championship. The MSGA would also like to thank our corporate partner, Toyota, for sponsoring the 26th Maryland Women’s Open.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
