By Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org
MILTON, Massachusetts (October 7, 2026) – When people talk about the Massachusetts Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, the first thing they usually ask is “Where’s Shannon at?” With a U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title and a bunch of Mass Women’s Mid-Ams to her name, Shannon Johnson (Thorny Lea GC) is the needle. She’s the player that everyone’s either chasing, or in the rare instances when she’s not in the lead, the one name they’re checking to see if a charge is mounting.
On Wednesday at Wollaston Golf Club, Johnson put together a clinical performance to erase a six-shot deficit in winning her sixth Massachusetts Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. With the win, Johnson is now the fourth player to ever win the Keyes Cup at least six times, joining Massachusetts Golf Hall of Famers Florence Ogg McClusky, Anne Marie Tobin, and Tara Joy-Connelly.
The Massachusetts Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is open to any female competitor age 25+, with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 18.0.
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The start of play was delayed by 30 minutes due to Metro Boston’s first frost of the season. While the temperatures may have been a bit colder to start the day, it was decidedly more comfortable with the lack of blustery winds.
Loaded with titles and talent, the final group included overnight leader and three-time champion Megan Buck (Thorny Lea GC) along with five-time champion Shannon Johnson (Thorny Lea GC), and Mass Golf newcomer Brooke Graebe (1929 Club). The trio quickly separated themselves from the field, turning the final round into a three-person race.
Some early bogeys from Buck allowed Graebe to pull within two shots of the lead and Johnson within four of the lead after four holes of play. As the group neared the turn, Johnson began to make her move. On the long, difficult par-5 8th hole, Johnson stuffed her approach to just a few feet and cashed the birdie putt to pull even with Graebe and within two of Buck’s lead.
“The approach shot on eight was great. Getting there was a whole other story,” joked Johnson, who clipped a few trees with her first two shots on No. 8. “Really, kind of got things in gear and piped the drive on nine. Maybe not the best approach shot, but made par and just kind of kept going from there.”
On the 9th, both Graebe and Johnson pulled within one with pars, but Graebe quickly fell back after misfiring with her tee shot on 10.
It was at this point in the round where any onlooker could see — Shannon Johnson was making her move. Her swing, which is built with the type of tempo that even Vijay Singh would be envious of, seemed to dial in more with every shot.
On No. 12, Johnson finally pulled even with Buck, and then two holes later pulled ahead after hitting two missiles to reach the par-5 14th hole in two.
From that point, Johnson never looked back. A nifty up-and-down on 15 allowed her to extend the lead and then on 16, though she made it interesting, another comfy par was had.
“I hit a seven wood off the tee, and then it kind of drifted into the bunker,” Johnson said of the 16th hole. “I had like one foot in, one foot out, and I’m like, ‘do I take my medicine and hit it literally 15 feet out to my left?’ But then I’m still going to have to lay up and go from there, and I said, ‘Well, if I can kind of get at least something on the pitching wedge, I think I could, I could hit it out and hit it awesome.’ I mean, that thing could have stayed in the bunker, could have went in the water, it could have went anywhere. I think that was probably the best shot (of the day), and then hit a good shot in and made par.”
All that was left was a textbook par on 17 and a rather unlucky bogey on the last. When it was all said and done, Johnson walked away with a two-shot victory, and with possession of the Keyes Cup — for a sixth time.
“There’s so many good players out here, and I’m just fortunate to have won this one. And yeah, it’s been fun.”
Raquel Symula (Wedgewood Pines CC) took home the Tournament Division title with a two-day total of 166. She held off a strong charge from past champion (of the Championship Division) Diane Carter (Salem CC). Symula escaped the greenside bunker on the difficult 18th hole before beautifully lagging her 40-foot par putt to set up a tap-in for the win.
“I’m really excited because it’s actually my first time playing this tournament,” said an excited Symula. “First time playing this course too, and I mean it’s really exciting just not knowing the course and playing good.”
And in the Tournament Division Net, Christine Ho (LPGA Amateurs Boston) picked up where she left off yesterday, running away with a 9-shot victory. A net eagle on the 16th hole was the highlight of the round.
Wollaston Golf Club has called its current site ‘home’ since 1970. Sitting within the Blue Hills and playing to a maximum yardage of approximately 6,900, Wollaston remains one of the only Tom Fazio-designed courses in Massachusetts. Before Fazio’s design, Wollaston Golf Club was located on the present site of Presidents Golf Course in Quincy.
In 1992, the club hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. That year, Tiger Woods made history, becoming the first player to ever win two U.S. Junior Amateur Championships. The next year, he made it three straight before tacking on three-consecutive U.S. Amateur titles.
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