CINCINNATI – Isabel Emanuels had the 98th Women’s Western Junior on her calendar for a while.

One year after finishing second at Hinsdale Golf Club, the 17-year-old from Austin, Texas, closed strong during the second round at Maketewah Country Club on Wednesday, going 3-under on her last six holes of stroke play to earn medalist honors. She will be the No. 1 seed as the championship turns to match play on Thursday.

“It feels amazing to be back,” Emanuels said. “The committee is awesome and makes this tournament really special. Match play is a different strategy. You have to take it one hole at a time. I will be aggressive where I can and see what happens."

Emanuels rolled in back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to post her second consecutive 72, finishing at even par across 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying.

“I just played one shot at a time,” said Emanuels. “It’s all about fairways and greens here, and I knew if I could hit the fairway, I’d be in a good position.”

A University of Georgia commit, Emanuels was the only player in the field to shoot two rounds of even par or better. She secured her one-shot victory with a clutch par on the par-3 18th.

“The holes were in tough locations and the rough is thick,” Emanuels said. “The walk is tough too, but the course is super fun. I had one shot that got away from me, but I stuck to my game plan. I love this tournament so much and I’m excited for match play.”

Maketewah Country Club offered challenging greens and hole locations during the final round of stroke play. Only one golfer in the 78-player field finished under par on Wednesday – Elisa Xue of China.

The three-way tie for second at 1-over par included Kara An (Valencia, California), Ryan Donaldson (McAlpin, Florida) and Vidhi Lakhawala (Kendall Park, New Jersey).

“The greens were definitely tough,” An said. “I tried to keep the ball below the hole and give myself tap-ins for par. I just want to put some good swings on it and see what happens. My approach shots have given me birdie chances.”

Lucy Cook, of West Point, Mississippi, placed fifth at 2-over and Taylor Snively, a Zionsville, Indiana, native, finished sixth at 4-over.

Six players tied for seventh at 6-over: Catherine Andino (Boca Raton, Florida), Alli Wiertel (Oswego, Illinois), Sehee Sim (San Diego, California), Kathryn DeLoach (Athens, Georgia), Trinity Beth (Calvert City, Kentucky) and Alisa Davidova (Roanoke, Virginia).

A five-for-four playoff determined the final match play qualifiers at 7-over. Addison Surber (Montgomery, Texas), Martha Kuwahara (Northbrook, Illinois), Eliza Yelverton (West Point, Mississippi) and Ryleigh Knaub (Debary, Florida) secured the last four spots.

The playoff began on No. 1, with Surber, Kuwahara and Yelverton advancing on the first hole. Knaub edged out Gianna Singh – who made a hole-in-one on No. 18 in the first round Tuesday – for the final position in match play. Sim and Kuwahara are both making their second consecutive appearance in match play.

Match play begins Thursday with the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Semifinals will be played Friday morning, followed by the championship match for the Icely Cup on Friday afternoon.

Round of 16 Pairings (All times Eastern):
No. 1 Isabel Emanuels vs. No. 16 Ryleigh Knaub, 8 a.m.
No. 8 Alli Wiertel vs. No. 9 Sehee Sim, 8:10 a.m.
No. 4 Vidhi Lakhawala vs. No. 13 Martha Kuwahara, 8:20 a.m.
No. 5 Lucy Cook vs. No. 12 Alisa Davidova, 8:30 a.m.
No. 2 Kara An vs. No. 15 Eliza Yelverton, 8:40 a.m.
No. 7 Catherine Andino vs. No. 10 Kathryn DeLoach, 8:50 a.m.
No. 3 Ryan Donaldson vs. No. 14 Addison Surber, 9 a.m.
No. 6 Taylor Snively vs. No. 11 Trinity Beth, 9:10 a.m.

For the full leaderboard click here.

First held in 1920, the Women’s Western Junior is one of the oldest and most prestigious junior golf tournaments in the country. The championship has long been a launching pad for future stars, with past champions including Candie Kung (1998), Cristie Kerr (1994), Grace Park (1993) and Nancy Lopez (1972-74).

This year, the winner of the Women’s Western Junior will earn a sponsor exemption into the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, an LPGA Tour event at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio, September 11-14. The 144-player field will feature LPGA stars including Nelly Korda, Haeran Ryu, Lydia Ko and Jeeno Thitikul.

Maketewah Country Club is hosting a Women’s Western Golf Association championship for the first time in 2025.

Admission and parking for the Women’s Western Junior are free.