got married.“ I think college golf for women has made all the difference.”

Kandi Kessler Comer emerged as a junior golfer champion in 1980, the same year she won the VSGA Women’ s Amateur. She also won the Junior Girls’ title in 1978, and the Women’ s Stroke Play in 1981. Comer was a standout at the University of North Carolina and secured a second Women’ s Amateur title in 1984, becoming the first VSGA Women’ s Golfer of the Year.

“ The VSGA Women’ s Amateur is a firstclass event, as evidenced by the long list of past champions who have excelled not just at the state level but at the national level as well,” Comer said.“ It has a storied history of bringing together the game’ s greats for fierce competition and lifelong friendships. It’ s exciting to see so many young girls getting so good and being in a position to add to the strength of this field.”

Donna Andrews was the first woman inducted into the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame. She won five consecutive Women’ s Amateur titles from 1985 to 1989, defeating five different opponents in the championship finals. She also captured three VSGA Women’ s Stroke Play championships and two Junior Girls crowns before turning

Amy Ellertson won back-to-back titles in 1994-95.

“ The VSGA Women’ s Amateur is a first-class event, as evidenced by the long list of past champions who have excelled not just at the state level but at the national level as well.” – Kandi Kessler Comer

Fun Fact Jane Mack won her first Women’ s Amateur in 1977. She won the last of four titles 15 years later in 1992. That is the record for longest span between victories.

Abby Portyrata

professional in 1989. Andrews went on to win six times on the LPGA Tour, including the prestigious Dinah Shore major.

The Hall of Fame era concluded with Mack’ s 1992 victory, united by a common thread of longevity as amateurs.

In the past three decades years, seven players have won multiple Women’ s Amateur titles: Amy Ellertson( 1994-95), Lee Shirley Playford( 1996-98), Mandy Beamer( 2001-02), Amanda Steinhagen( 2010- 11), Lauren Coughlin( 2012-13), Abby Portyrata( 2015-16) and Lauren Greenlief( 2017-18, 2024).

Several Women’ s Amateur champions, including Boodie McGurn( 2003), Dot Bolling( 2000), Mimi Hoffman( 1999) and Ellertson, have also collected titles in the VSGA Senior and Super-Senior divisions, further showcasing their lasting impact on Virginia golf.

EVOLVING COMPETITION

Greenlief joined the ranks of three-time Women’ s Amatuer champions with her 2024 victory. In the five years between her second title( 2018) and her third, every champion had been a teenager or collegiate golfer— a sign of the tournament’ s ever-increasing competitiveness.

“ The strength and depth of the junior and collegiate players has continued to improve, but I think there is still a set of highly competitive mid-amateur players who have many years of experience,” Greenlief said.“ I am working hard to stay competitive for many years to come.”

Since 2009, she has won 11 VSGA championships: three Women’ s Amateurs, four Women’ s Stroke Plays and four Women’ s Four-Ball titles. She has been named VSGA Women’ s Golfer of the Year seven times. On a national stage, she won the

CHRIS LANG( PORTYRATA); VSGA ARCHIVES( ELLERTSON); VIRGINIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME( MACK)

20 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J U LY / A UGUST 2025 vsga. org

Virginia Golfer July/August 2025 | Page 22

Fun Fact Jane Mack won her first Women’ s Amateur in 1977. She won the last of four titles 15 years later in 1992. That is the record for longest span between victories.