Brooke Biermann Advances to Championship Match at the U.S. Women’s Amateur

By Tom Lang and Michael Carey  

Recent graduate Michigan State women’s golfer Brooke Biermann advanced to the Finals of the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur with a win in 19 holes at Bandon Dunes Golf Course in Bandon, Ore.

Biermann will play Megha Ganne, a rising senior at Stanford, in the championship match on Sunday, August 10. Like she did twice before during the match play portion of the Amateur, Biermann had to go to extra holes to secure her spot in the finals.

Biermann, a Missouri native, had taken a 3-up lead through 15 holes over Lyla Louderbaugh, who is also a Missouri native and a junior at Kansas, who won the final three consecutive holes and forced the match to a 19th hole after Biermann was 3-up after the 15th hole.

“Brooke stayed in it, mentally,” said MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, who arrived at Bandon Dunes Saturday morning to support Biermann. “Those are moments you can get pretty down on yourself, drawing even when you’re 3-up with three to go.

“This kid is dialed in and she’s going to give it everything she has in the final and hopefully it’s her day,” Slobodnik-Stoll added.

The competitors started the extra holes at the par-4, 351-yard 10th hole and Biermann’s reached the green in two shots and, after a long putt was within inches of the cup, Louderbaugh conceded the final shot.

“Lyla is a great player, and she gave everything she had today and so did I,” Biermann said in a post-match talk with The Golf Channel. “Being in extra holes a couple of days ago, I just leaned extra hard on that and just remembered how calm I was, and I just tried to carry that into number 10.”

Biermann has certainly had experience this week with playing extra holes, posting a pair of victories on Thursday, winning in 22 holes in the Round of 32 in the morning round and then turning around to post a win in 19 holes that afternoon in the Round of 16.

Spartan teammate Taylor Kehoe also reached the round of 16 but was knocked out.

“It’s outstanding to have two kids make it into the quarterfinals and now one is a finalist, there’s no other team that did that this year… or most years,” Slobodnik-Stoll commented. 

In 2021, MSU player Valery Plata made it to the US Women’s Amateur semifinals, and the following year, teammate Valentina Rossi reached the same level. Biermann broke through to the finals.

“I think a lot of fans look at the traditional powers, and I think that’s what allows our players to be awesome and great,” Slobodnik-Stoll said about the great Spartan showings the last few years at the national level. “The chip on their shoulder; we kind of always know that it’s always there. 

“We’re not one of the warm weather schools. But I think that’s such a feather in our cap since our players are taught to be tough and gritty and we love the bad weather – and the weather out here is pretty tough. Brooke’s been telling me all week how windy it is, but actually experiencing it today was really something. And kudos to all these women who have made it this far. Because it’s really tough playing out there.”

The Spartan coach and her husband, Jim, her daughter, Olivia, and senior Shannon Kennedy arrived at Bandon Dunes Saturday morning to offer their support. Kennedy has been the most vocal during breaks in the action.

Biermann won the first hole on Saturday afternoon, then broke a tie with to take a 2-up lead through five holes and was 1up at the turn before winning the 11th, 13th and 15th holes, setting up the exciting finish and nail-biting finish.

Throughout the tournament, Biermann’s father, Bill, has served as her caddy and having her family alongside her has been comforting and encouraging.

 “I rely heavily on him,” she said. “He knows my game better than anyone else. Him giving me advice, I have very little doubt when I’m over the ball. I’m so thankful that he can be out here with me.”

Slobodnik-Stoll will be at the national tournament for the final, but won’t butt in.

“She knows that she’s doing, she doesn’t need any of my words of wisdom. She’s been running her own program out here for 9 days and I don’t want to disrupt that.

“Hopefully we’ll see a Spartan, U.S. Champion Sunday.”