By Nia Fredrich
nfredrich@massgolf.org
OSTERVILLE, Massachusetts (June 10, 2025) – The final putts dropped as the thunder roar grew louder over Wianno Golf Club for the final round of the Women’s Stroke Play Championship. The clubs were tucked safely into the cars, and the roar of the thunder was equally matched in the roar inside the clubhouse to celebrate another successful championship gathering in thanks to Edith Noblit Baker and this kickoff to the season.
With just a two stroke lead from the first round, Cindy Cao (Youth On Course/Mass Golf) pulled a steady lead while making the turn on day two to claim title to her first Baker Trophy.
The junior golfer who attends the Taft School in Connecticut made note of the struggle out the gates on day two.
“I think the first day was more smooth, because my long game was fine, and especially my putts were really good the first day. But then second day today, I struggled. I struggled a little bit on the front, and I made like, three consecutive bogeys and a double bogey on the first hole. So that was kind of a bit of a struggle. And that was mainly because of my chips and around the green, and I thought my drives and all the stuff on the in the fairway are really good today.”
“I feel like yesterday I was like, more dry, and this today is like more wet, so it’s slower and also more humid, and the fog kind of like makes your balls stop quickly, right on the spot. I just had to club up a little bit today.
After finding her groove on the back, two back-to-back bogey’s didn’t stop her from a solid 3-par finish to hold a 4-stroke lead over the field.
“I really enjoyed playing here on this course. I think it’s really fun, because I feel like the fairways are hilly, and you really have to think about where you want to hit the ball and where you want to land it. The greens are really tricky, so you really want to, like, think about whether you should just tap it or, like, give it a try.”
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Being chased by the storm rolling in, the final group was hoping to drop their final putts in the knick of time before the heavy rain fall, and that they did. For the third year in a row, Christine Gagner (Bedrock Golf Club) claimed the tournament division win – noting that she plays better when racing against the weather because she doesn’t have the time to think.
“So I had a really hard time when I started this morning. I made lots of bogeys in a row that I think I three putted from about two feet off number five. And then I was like, All right, you need to settle down and play hard. And so when we got on the back, I had a really good side on the back yesterday, and I felt a lot more confident. But then, as it got cloudier and the rain started to pick up, we had two holes to go. And on 17, it was just starting to thunder. You could hear it in the background. And then I was like, All right, just settle down. You like to play fast anyway, so just play fast. Move along and try to get it in. But the whole time we were begging, begging that they weren’t going to call it so we could finish. And thankfully, we did, but I’m telling you, on the 18th hole that thunder was loud, and we just made it to our cars before those big crash of lightning. So it was really crazy.”
Though a third win in a row has a nice ring to it, to Gagner is isn’t about the trophy, but about spending the time the last two days with friends and familiar faces.
“So for me, it’s not about really winning. It’s about being here with my friends, having a good time, staying over at the Cape. I think this is what Mrs. Baker always wanted it to be, a time where people could play with our friends. So winning is great, but for me, it’s staying with my friends, and we really now just put up a good time every time we play. I think I’ve played in probably 30 of these. So winning the third in this division has been really great, it was just really a lot of fun.”
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