Emma McMyler Repeats as Women’s Texas Amateur Champion

HUMBLE – Prior to this week, Xavier University junior Emma McMyler was already part of Texas golf history. On Friday at the Golf Club of Houston’s Tournament Course, she elevated herself to a new level entirely: two-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion.

With a 3&2 victory in the Final Match against Kansas State University sophomore Remington Isaac of Montgomery, McMyler won the 101st edition of the prestigious amateur championship. It was a successful title defense, as the San Antonio native also won the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur last summer at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth.

“It means a lot. To be able to do it twice is a cool thing to do,” said McMyler, who also won the 2021 Women’s Stroke Play Championship. “Doing it at this course is pretty special with it being a PGA Tour course. The field was pretty strong this week, and I had a lot of tough matches. But I played really well and was able to pull out the win. It’s pretty special.”

McMyler is the first to win consecutive Women’s Texas Amateurs since Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin did it 1999-2000. Hardin, the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion, was the Senior Medalist this week at the Tournament Course during the Qualifying Round and advanced the Championship Bracket. A veteran of more than 50 USGA national championships, Hardin also won back-to-back Women’s Texas Amateur titles in 1996-97.

The Final Match was tight throughout the front nine. Both players held leads at one point, but they were tied as they reached the 10th tee box. Over the next 40 minutes or so, McMyler ripped off three straight birdies to take a commanding 3-up lead. Long off the tee and precise with her irons, she put herself in position to capitalize again and again. McMyler poured in a 12-footer on the 10th, then made 25-foot bomb on the 11th, and capped off the string with a 6-foot birdie on No. 12.

With her father Brian on the bag as caddie, McMyler also birdied the par-3 14th to go 4 up.

“I was kind of feeling it with the putter,” she said.

For her part, Isaac never backed down and continued the fight until both players bogeyed the par-3 16th, which ended things. The former Montgomery High School standout made four birdies on the front nine, but McMyler’s birdies kept besting Isaac’s pars early on the inward loop.

“I have definitely gotten mentally stronger because of this week,” said Isaac, who won seven of her 10 events during her high school senior and led her team to a runner-up finish at the 2021 UIL state championships.

Isaac employed her good friend and mentor Hailee Cooper as her caddie in the Final Match. The two were high school teammates for a year – Isaac was a freshman during Cooper’s senior year – and Isaac defeated Cooper in the Thursday’s Semifinals at the Tournament Course. Despite the tension of the match and what was at stake, Isaac and Cooper smiled and joked with each other throughout the round. The good friends clearly enjoyed the experience, regardless of the final outcome.

McMyler, a two-time Big East Golfer of the Year who won twice for Xavier last season, earned 21st seed in the Championship Match Play Bracket after recording 3-over-par 75 in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round. In the Round of 32, she defeated No. 12 seed Lauren Nguyen of Katy, 3&2. McMyler then took down 28th-seed Ellie Rippee of McKinney, 2&1, in the Round of 16.

In the Quarterfinals, McMyler beat No. 29 seed Hunter Nugent of Irving, 3&2. The Xavier standout then toppled No. 1-seeded Camryn Carreon of San Antonio in the Semis, 1 up.

“The week being so long, it’s really challenging,” said McMyler, who recently finished T26 playing as an amateur at the Epson Tour’s Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA powered by the A2 Sports Commission. “It was super-hot out here, so staying hydrated and staying fresh for the entire week was important.”

In addition to the McMyler-Isaac showdown, six other flights in the tournament held their final matches Friday.

In the First Flight, Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Chelsea Romas of Coppell, 5&4. In the Second Flight, Elina Sinz of Katy beat Faith Kilgore of Wimberley, 3&2. In the Third Flight, Trinity King of Arlington took down Federica Tavelli-Westerlund of San Marcos in 19 holes. In the Fourth Flight, Maria Jose Martinez Almeida of Houston defeated Brooke Morales of McKinney, 7&6. In the Fifth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville scored a 1-up victory against EG Messenger of Montgomery. In the Sixth Flight, Molly Murray of McKinney defeated Aidan McLachlan of Dallas, 4&3.

The Texas Golf Association extends its gratitude to the Golf Club of Houston, including its staff and membership, for their support, hospitality, and generosity during the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur. We greatly appreciate the efforts from the club, as well as the TGA volunteers, for helping us create a memorable championship week. For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.