Hot Springs, Virginia, United States: Sue Wooster will have to wait another year in her quest to capture a first US Senior Women’s title. In her 12th US Senior Women’s Amateur appearance, the Australian suffered the heartbreak of losing in the final for the fourth time.
“I was just so grateful to have made another final,” said 63-year-old Wooster, putting on a brave face after being edged out on the 20th hole by American Dawn Woodard. It was the first time that Wooster had been behind in the final.
“I said to myself: ‘Win or lose, so be it.’ It kind of wasn’t like that when I lost. I was very emotional. I’ve been emotional all of my four losses. The pressure is just so intense that there’s just this big build-up and then you just release it. You’re delighted if you win and the opposite if you lose, but I’ll get over it quickly.”
After her dramatic 19-hole semi-final win over 2023 champion Sarah Gallagher, Wooster struck first on the second hole of the championship match, before Woodard evened the score with her first birdie of the day on the par-four third.
The Australian, the 2025 Arizona Women’s Senior Amateur champion, won the next two holes to build a two-up lead. After tying the next three holes, Woodard slimmed the margin with a birdie on the par-five ninth.
The momentum continued to flip back-and-forth on the back nine, with Wooster regaining her two-up lead on the par-four 10th, before Woodard answered back by winning the next two holes, featuring a clutch par on 12 to tie the match.
A par on 13 from Wooster would level the match going into the infamous par 3-5-5-3 final stretch of the Cascades Course at The Omni Homestead Resort that has swung matches all week.
A costly bogey from Wooster on the par-five 16th once again squared the match, before the duo halved the 17th, bringing the match to the final regulation hole.
Woodard’s tee shot on the 170-yard par-three went over the green into the rough, while Wooster landed her shot 15 feet from the hole. After Wooster calmly two-putted for par, Woodard was left with a seven-footer to tie, burying her par putt to extend the match into a play-off hole.
After halving the first play-off hole, Woodard found the fairway with her tee shot on the par-five 20th hole, laying up and two-putting for par. Wooster came up short with her approach shot and was faced with a must-have up-and-down from the rough, missing her 15-footer to extend the match, crowning Woodard as champion.
“Someone needs to pinch me. It’s pretty special,” said Woodard, who was playing in her 35th USGA championship and who fell short in the quarter-finals of last year’s US Senior Women’s Amateur. “It was a hard golf course. Really just knowing if I keep giving myself opportunities, I still have a chance. More than anything, I think it’s just never giving up on myself this week.”
A surprise visit from husband, Jason Woodard, who drove all night from their South Carolina home, added a special touch to the victory. Support also poured in from back home for Woodard from their three girls, Ashley (27), Sam (25), and Caitlin (22). “He was supposed to be going to Chicago for work, but I’m happy he’s here.” said 51-year-old Woodard.
