BEE CAVE — Tillie Claggett of Spring and Isabel Emanuels of Austin shared medalist honors at the 103rd Women’s Texas Amateur, each carding a 4-under 67 to claim the top two seeds heading into match play, edging out the field by one stroke.
“I got off to a good start and was able to hit some solid iron shots, which took the pressure off my putting,” Claggett said. “It was mentally easy since it’s just a qualifying round, so I focused on finishing in the top 32.”
Claggett, coming off a strong season at Vanderbilt University, secured the No. 1 seed, marking the second consecutive year an SEC women’s golfer has topped the standings. Last year, Elina Sinz of Alabama University claimed the honor at Eagles Bluff Country Club.
“Yeah, I’m excited about this course,” mentioned Claggett. “We’ve got some gettable Par 5’s and I was in between some short Par 4’s and with the tournament heading into match play I’m sure you’ll move up some tees and make it a little more aggressive.”
Sharing medalist honors, Emanuels also earned Junior Medalist recognition with her 4-under 67.
“Today I hit a lot of fairways, which was crucial on this narrow course,” Emanuels said. “My approach shots were solid, and I stayed focused on one shot at a time.”
After a runner-up finish at state and facing tough competition statewide, Emanuels claimed the No. 2 seed. The Austin Westlake High School junior looks to build on her performance in the upcoming matches.
“This is my first time in this tournament,” Emanuels said. “Competing with college players and top-ranked junior golfers is amazing and I just love everything about it”
Veronika Exposito of The Woodlands, following closely as the No. 3 seed, expressed satisfaction with her steady play.
“Today was good; I maintained consistency and left myself good chances for putts,” Exposito said.
Fresh off her 2024 Texas Girls’ Invitational win and qualifying for the U.S. Girls Junior, Exposito aims to add the Silver Lake Trophy to her accolades.
Sadie Englemann of Austin secured the No. 5 seed with a 3-under 68 in qualifying.
“Today was solid. I had a strong start and finished bogey-free, which is always pleasing, and I had the putts rolling so all-in-all it was good” Englemann said.
Englemann, recently part of Stanford University’s second NCAA National Title, looks forward to the match play format, having recently excelled in it.
“I love match play,” Englemann said. “We just won the National Championship, so I am coming off a tournament where we just played it and the format itself is just really fun.”
Ryann Honea of San Angelo shares the No. 6 seed after posting a 3-under 68, fueled by three consecutive birdies on the back nine.
“Today was really good; I hit the ball well and played smart when needed,” Honea said. “I left a few 12-to-14-foot putts right in the heart short of the cup so it could have been better but I am happy with my performance.”
32 Players will head into the championship flight with their eyes on the Silver Lake Cup Trophy and one other prize. With an official announcement from the USGA, the 103rd Women’s Texas Amateur is an Official USGA Exemption Event where the champions will receive an exemption into the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Competing at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, players faced a tough challenge, with the 518-yard Par 5 17th proving the day’s hardest hole, yielding only six birdies. The official yardage for the qualifying round was 6,061 yards.
Tomorrow’s Round of 32 and 16 matches in the Championship Flight will tee off at 7:30 a.m. from No. 1.
To see results for the qualifying round, seeded flights, and read more on the 103rd Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.