By: Richard Rapp
rrapp@massgolf.org
CONCORD, Massachusetts (August 13, 2025) – Wednesday’s play at the 2025 Massachusetts Women’s Amateur was disarmingly blunt. Of the 24 matches contested over the course of the rounds of 32 and 16, only two saw the higher seed upset the lower. Spectators didn’t have to wander much farther than the 13th hole if they were interested in conclusions, where seven matches expired on that vertigo inducing green. Another seven matches concluded on the 14th. If you were looking for a quiet patch of sun to read in all day, the 18th fairway would have been a good spot. Only two matches made it as far as the 17th hole, just one the 18th.
The lone match to go the distance was Shannon Johnson‘s (Thorny Lea) 1 up victory over Claire Richardson (The Country Club) in the afternoon. Johnson and Richardson may have been the two elder stateswomen in the match play bracket, but they looked plenty sprightly battling it out down the stretch on a sweltering day. There wasn’t much to separate the two throughout the round. Johnson went 1 up with a conceded hole on the 16th, then the two matched birdies on the par-5 17th. Johnson hit a conservative approach to the front half of the 18th green, before Richardson made a fatal error, flying the green into thick rough on the back edge. She was unable to get up-and-down, meaning Johnson’s two-putt earned the 2018 champion a Thursday tee time.
Quarterfinal Matchups (Thursday):
Semifinal matches to follow on Thursday afternoon.
The indefatigable Isabel Brozena (Indian Ridge Country Club) impatiently snapped her fingers at a downhill birdie putt that lacked the gusto that she embodies. I looked away as she scooped up the conceded par putt, and when I glanced up again she was somehow already bouncing on the next tee box, driver in hand. The unimposing frame that coils up to launch booming 300-yard drives was looking for something to happen on a day that felt like a slow burn.
View this post on Instagram
Brozena had captivated a crowd on the first tee at Tuesday evening’s skills challenge when she launched a 285-yard long drive contest winner, which was met with audible gasps. She returned to that tee in the morning and sent another one in the general direction of the moon, leaving herself about 180 yards into the par-5 when it crashed to earth, which propelled her to an immediate 1-up lead. Brozena would win that morning match over Annie Dai (Orchards Golf Club) 6&5, taking the final four holes, including a birdie on the 13th to end the match.
As she gazed at that 13th hole during her post-round interview, Brozena acknowledged the edge her exceptional distance provides at Concord: “I think this course really sets up pretty well for my distance advantage because like, sure, you can hit the fairway, but if you have a wedge, you’re so much better off into the greens, placement wise, and that is so crucial. I mean, especially, we’re looking at 13 right now. That’s so important to be in the right spot.”
She often found herself in the right spot throughout the day. In her afternoon match with Amanda Adams (Winchester Country Club), she was regularly 75 to 100 yards farther along off the tee. Brozena was firmly in control of that match, 3 up through 13, when the players were briefly called off the course as a precaution with lightning in the area. She came back out and won the hole, but dropped the 15th and 16th, giving Adams a sliver of hope, down two with two to play.
Then Brozena unleashed a 325-yard drive to the bottom of the hill on the downwind par-5 17th to cut into that hope-sliver. Adams, 100 yards back and needing to win the hole to continue the match, was in trouble. Adams scrambled for an impressive par from a nasty lie, but Brozena calmly two-putted from the front fringe for birdie to close out the match 3&1.
“I feel good. I mean, I played pretty well. I think this course is really challenging. So the more rounds, the better. And I’m just trying to learn a lot more about this course and learn how to how to play it. Especially as we get closer to the end,” said Brozena.
Rebecca Skoler (Pine Brook Country Club) may have to revisit the final stretch of our Concord Country Club Hole-By-Hole Flyover video, because she didn’t step foot on holes 15-18 today. The 2023 champion needed only 27 holes to take care of business, winning 6&5 in the morning over 2021 champion Catie Schernecker (The Country Club), then reeling off six consecutive hole wins against Katherine Ng (Nehoiden Golf Club) to prevail 6&4.
Skoler is coming off a trip to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes last week. She’s enjoying some high-level competitive golf in her first post-collegiate summer, before what us cynical souls call “the real world” inevitably comes a-knocking:
“This is definitely one of my favorite events that I play. I didn’t get to play last year. But I’m just really happy to be back competing in this event. I love the match play aspect of this tournament, which we don’t really get in a lot of other events,” said Skoler. “I start work in about four weeks, so I’m just really happy to be out here and, competing and giving it a good run because, I don’t know how many more days on the course I’ll have after this.”
There are plenty of big names for Skoler to reckon with, if she has designs on winning a second Mass Women’s Amateur (which she certainly appears to). Defending champion Morgan Smith (Mount Pleasant Golf Club) may have suffered a surprising defeat to reigning Rhode Island Women’s Amateur champion Kylie Eaton (KOHR Golf), but her sister Molly Smith (Vesper Country Club) is playing stellar golf. Smith knocked out the 2024 Mass Women’s Mid-Am champ Megan Buck (Thorny Lea) 6&5 in the morning, then took down last year’s Women’s Am runner up Julia Imai (KOHR Golf) 5&4 in the afternoon. Smith, despite several close calls in recent years, is still seeking her first Mass Women’s Am title.
1-Shannon Johnson def. 16-Claire Richardson 1-up
Shannon Johnson and Claire Richardson were the first two to test out the 18th green today, with Johnson taking home the win at 1 up. Johnson jumped out to an early two-up advantage, but that was quickly erased, as both battled back-and-forth throughout the entire round.
8-Lillian Guleserian def. 24-Kylie Eaton 6 & 5
Lillian Guleserian took control of her afternoon match, holding an outright lead for the entire round. Guleserian entered the back nine 4-up, and never looked back, closing out her match on the 13th hole.
4-Rebecca Skoler def. 13-Katherine Ng 6 & 4
Rebecca Skoler and Katherine Ng tussled with the lead of their afternoon match, so much so the front nine didn’t see a lead higher than 1 up. The back nine, however, was a different story. Starting on 10, Skoler won her next six holes, closing the match out 6 & 4.
5-Alexis Florio def. 12-Maddie Smith 5 & 4
Alexis Florio grabbed an early lead after winning her first two holes. Not until the 10th did she advance her lead beyond 2 up. With three straight wins on holes 11-13, Florio built a lead she would never relinquish.
2-Molly Smith def. 15-Julia Imai 4 & 3
Winning six out of her first seven holes, Molly Smith took a prominent lead in her match against Julia Imai. She never looked back, closing out the match on the 14th hole.
7-Phoebe Brinker def. 10-Mekhala Costello 6 & 5
Phoebe Brinker won her afternoon match today, never giving her opponent, Mekhala Costello, a chance to win one hole. After making the turn at 2 up, Brinker won three out of her next four holes, to close out her match 6 & 5.
3-Isabel Brozena def. 19-Amanda Adams 3 & 1
Isabel Brozena won her first two holes of the match, and extended her lead from there. Amanda Adams fought back during the back nine, but Brozena was able to advance to the round of eight, winning three out of the last five holes.
6-Kaitlyn Doe def. 11-Jillian Johnson 4 & 3
Kaitlyn Doe captured the win in her afternoon match today, battling her way to a 3 up lead by the turn. Doe then won her next two out of three holes, and finished off the match on the 15th hole, securing her a spot in the round of eight for Thursday morning.
1-Shannon Johnson def. 32-Mia Lombardi 5 & 4
After tying the first two holes, Shannon Johnson took control of the reins, not letting Lombardi win a hole until their 12th. With Johnson’s commanding performance on the front nine, she started her back nine 4 up, and continued, winning holes 10 and 11, and closing the match out on hole 14.
16-Claire Richardson def. 17-Sophie Redmond 4 & 3
Claire Richardson and Sophie Redmond battled it out throughout the front nine holes in their match, grabbing the lead from one another. Richardson made her move on the 8th, winning her next five consecutive holes, and grabbing her win after hole 15.
8-Lillian Guleserian def. 25-Claire McTaggart 3 & 2
Lillian Guleserian earned her first lead of the day on hole 10, after a neck-and-neck front nine with Claire McTaggart. After grabbing her lead, Guleserian continued her streak, winning holes 12, 14, and 15, and closing the match out on hole 16.
24-Kylie Eaton def. 9-Morgan Smith 6 & 5
Kylie Eaton earned the largest upset of the morning rounds by defeating Morgan Smith. Eaton held Smith off for 13 holes, not letting Smith take the lead once throughout the entire round.
4-Rebecca Skoler def. 29-Catie Schernecker 6 & 5
After losing the first hole, Rebecca Skoler quickly grabbed her lead back, winning seven of the next eight holes in the match. After a successful front nine, Skoler coasted, tying the next three holes and winning the fourth, to send her to the round of 16.
13-Katherine Ng vs. 20-Ryley Regan 6 & 5
Katherine Ng grabbed the lead in her first hole of the day, and never looked back. Ng won six of her last eight holes over Regan to send her to the round of 16 later that afternoon.
5-Alexis Florio def. 28-Callie Crean 5 & 4
After jumping to the top of the leaderboard on Tuesday, Florio continued her hot streak, closing out her match against Calli Crean on the 14th hole. Florio grabbed the lead on the first hole, and while Crean’s effort showed on the scorecard, Florio reached 5-up by hole 12, and rode her lead until the match ended.
12-Maddie Smith def. 21-Erika Redmond 4 & 3
Ending the front nine holes 3-up on Erika Redmond, Maddie Smith continued her lead to the back, where she won holes 13 and 14, to win her match on hole 15, 5-up.
2-Molly Smith def. 31-Megan Buck 6 & 5
2 down after 2 holes, Molly Smith had to fight back to earn her win over Megan Buck Wednesday morning. Winning holes 3, 5, 6, and 7, Smith ended her front nine 2-up, and continued her streak on the back nine. Smith won 10, 11, 12, and 13, closing out the match after a successful birdie putt.
15-Julia Imai def. 18-Julianna Megan 4 & 3
A long-lasting lead wasn’t a familiar term in the match between Julia Imai and Julianna Megan, until their back nine. Imai grabbed the lead back on the 10th hole, winning three out of the next four holes, and closing the match out after the 15th.
7-Phoebe Brinker def. 26-Abby Stone 4 & 3
Phoebe Brinker and Abby Stone battled their front nine out, with the largest lead at 1 up. Brinker took control of the match after the turn, grabbing the win for the next five out of six holes and sending her to the round of 16.
10-Mekhala Costello def. 23-Mya Murphy 4 & 3
Mekhala Costello took charge of her morning match, leaving little room for error, and only allowing Mya Murphy to win one hole on the front nine. By the ninth hole, Costello was 4 up on Murphy, and took her lead to the 15th hole, where she closed out her round.
3-Isabel Brozena def. 30-Annie Dai 6 & 5
Isabel Brozena won her first hole of the day, but didn’t earn a lead larger than 2 up until the back nine. Brozena won holes 10 through 13, closing out her morning match with 5 holes to play.
19-Amanda Adams def. 14 – Sadie Cumming 4 & 3
Amanda Adams and Sadie Cumming left little to no leeway for the other, with most of their front nine holes grabbing the lead from one another. Adams grabbed the lead again on the ninth, and carried it to the 15th, where she won 3 up.
6-Kaitlyn Doe def. 27-Amy Lyon 5 & 4
Kaitlyn Doe grabbed her first lead of the day on the 4th hole, and stuck with it for the remainder of her round, winning four consecutive holes on her front nine. Doe carried her lead into the 15th, where she closed out 5 up.
11-Jillian Johnson def. 22-Katie Cullen 5 & 4
Jillian Johnson won her first hole of the day, and never dropped her lead after that. Winning her first six out of seven holes, Johnson ended her front nine 5 up, and ended her match at the same on hole 15.
View this post on Instagram
Visit MassGolf.org and follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest information regarding the 122nd Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #MassGolf and #MassWomensAm
