CHRIS LANG( WEINFURTHER); VSGA ARCHIVES( DOUGHTIE)

said.“ The tournament has a rich history of champions and exceptional golf, and I’ m excited to celebrate this milestone.

While the 50th anniversary passed quietly, a memorable 75th anniversary reunion was organized by then Women’ s Division president Meg Gilmer in 1995, bringing past champions and supporters together at The Homestead.

DEFINING ERAS

Throughout its history, several champions have defined the VSGA Women’ s Amateur, becoming the players to beat during their respective eras.

Six women— Donna Andrews( 2017), Robbye King Unger( 2018), Mary Patton Janssen( 2019), Kandi Kessler Comer( 2020), Lily Harper Martin( 2022) and Jane Mack( 2024)— all inducted into the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame, combined to win the Women’ s Amateur an impressive 30 times.

Lily Harper Martin holds the record with seven titles, including two streaks of consecutive wins: four in a row from 1934-37, then three from 1939-41. Her brother, Chandler Harper( a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee), once told a young Unger,“ Ladies golf was different back then. Golf was less competitive, more social.”

Mary Patton Janssen dominated in the late 1950s and early‘ 60s with six straight championships from 1957 to 1962, defeating Unger in 1962 during Unger’ s first championship final. Unger would go on to win six titles over the next 17 years, including four in a row from 1969 to 1972, and set a record with 10 finals appearances.

She reflected on that era fondly.“ The‘ 60s, that was the best of women’ s golf in Virginia,” Unger said.“ A lot of the focus was on Farmington Country Club, with players like Mary Pat Janssen, Anne Pollard and Sydney Elliott. We’ d go up to Hot Springs, and it was always‘ Which one of those Farmington people is going to win this year?’”

Jane Mack( Class of 2024) claimed four titles between 1977 and 1992, reaching seven championship finals across three decades.

Unger added,“ I don’ t think women’ s golf in Virginia has ever had as many highlights as it did in the‘ 60s and‘ 70s. It was very exciting. There were great rivalries, great friendships and so many good golfers— competitive matchups. Ladies golf now isn’ t like it was when I was playing. You have more golfers; you have better golfers.”

During the early decades up to the 1980s, most Women’ s Amateur competitors were housewives, teachers or professionals from business and finance. Unger, a teacher herself, thought,“ If I teach, I’ ll have the summers off to play golf.” Back then, she said, golf was something you did before you

Rory Weinfurther was still in high school when she won the 2019 Women ' s Amateur.