By Steve Derderian
sderderian@massgolf.org
SOUTH HADLEY, Massachusetts (July 23, 2026) — There’s a long walk through the protected wetlands at The Ledges Golf Club, lasting about five minutes as players travel from the fourth green to the fifth tee and a few holes later cross back from the eighth green to the ninth tee. Surrounded by woods and momentarily cut off from the rest of the course, there is little to do but walk forward with your bag in tow and be alone with your thoughts (no caddies allowed for this one).
For Cecily Henshon (Longmeadow Country Club), it was an ideal time to reset. The 18-year-old from nearby Longmeadow had built a 4-up lead over 14-year-old standout Maddie Chang (Youth on Course) through six holes of Thursday’s final match in the 93rd Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship Powered by KOHR Golf. Henshon had chipped in on the opening hole and rarely strayed from the fairway, but consecutive holes without a par allowed the lead to be cut in half against an opponent who in all three previous matches had won after being 2-down.
Then Henshon emerged from the woods and went back to work. Facing a drive straight uphill on the dogleg par-5 ninth, she rolled home a 15-foot birdie putt from the right side of the green to restore her 3-up advantage at the turn. She never trailed in the match and eventually closed out Chang with a birdie putt on the 16th to capture her first Mass Golf championship.
“There’s definitely a couple of long walks out here, and a lot of walking by yourself,” said Henshon, the first Western Mass native to win the title since Longmeadow’s Annie Dai (2021 at the Orchards). “But I was just thinking about the hole (No. 9), and I thought it’d be nice to win it. And then my putt just was dying pace over the edge, and it went in, so I was happy.”
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The reset on No. 9 reflected the steady approach Henshon carried through four days of championship golf. She rarely needed the spectacular because she rarely placed herself in serious trouble.
“In all my matches, we were definitely hitting a lot of fairways and greens, so that made it a challenge to stay with my opponents,” Henshon said. “Just aiming for the middle of the fairway, trying to hit the green and put some pressure on them is always good.”
Henshon’s precision became apparent again at the par-4 13th, where she attacked a flag tucked inside the small punchbowl on the right side of the green and left herself approximately six feet. She then won the par-3 14th, with its isolated, backyard setting, maintaining her focus even as the fatigue of two days of match play began to show.
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Chang, a member of New York’s United States National Development Program state team who defeated Adriana Eaton (KOHR Golf) in 19 holes in the morning, was not finished despite the long odds. With two par-4s playing under 250 yards and no reason to hold back, she drove the green on the 15th and two-putted for birdie after Henshon laid back and sent her wedge slightly beyond the green.
Chang reached the green from the tee again at the 16th, but needing just one more solid wedge strike to clinch it, Henshon stuck with the same plan she had used during her morning semifinal.
“I just got my wedge number,” Henshon said. “I went a little long this morning, so I was happy that it was kind of pin-high, and then I just hit a good putt.”
The birdie ended the match, bringing Henshon a mixture of emotions that was evident as she embraced her parents beside the green.
“I’d say I was pretty relieved and excited, and I’m tired too,” she said. “But it was really fun, so I’m happy.”
Henshon’s path to the championship included a morning rematch with two-time champion Maddie Smith (Mount Pleasant Golf Club), who had edged her in the MIAA Girls’ Golf state final at Indian Pond Country Club in June. This time, Henshon played the front nine in 35 for a 2-up lead and took the decisive 1-up lead after Smith three-putted the 17th. “Go win it,” Smith said to Henshon after conceding the match on the 18th.
“Maddie’s a great opponent, so it was fun to play against her and challenging too,” Henshon said of Smith, also part of Team Massachusetts.
The Longmeadow High School graduate grew up playing ice hockey and lacrosse in addition to golf, which she began playing in her early school-age years. Her recent ascent has included a U.S. Challenge Cup Girls’ Championship and a place on Team Massachusetts within the USNDP. This fall, she will continue her career at Deerfield Academy.
Her parents followed throughout Thursday wearing hats marked with the letters “CH.” The insignia stood for Cold Harbor in Connecticut, though the letters happened to suit the occasion as they watched in delight as their daughter completed the most significant victory of her young career, close to where it all began.
“This is definitely one of the biggest things I’ve won,” she said. “I think it’s a really good step for me.”
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