PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Ina Kimshard defeated Hanley Long in the longest championship match in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur history on the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Thursday with an 18-foot birdie putt on the extended fifth hole.
Kim Schade, 42, from Jupiter, Florida, also won in 2019. She is the fourth-oldest winner in the event’s history and the first to win twice since Julia Potter Bob in 2016. The tournament is open to players over the age of 25 and with a handicap index not exceeding 9.4.
“Honestly, I’m overwhelmed,” Kim Schade said. “I absolutely love this place and my husband and I got married in Carmel. It’s such a special place on the golf course, my family is here, my husband’s birthday is in the week, and it’s our second wedding. I don’t even feel like there are enough words to express all the emotions I’m feeling.”
Long, a 28-year-old from Clarksville, Tenn., had to hit his third shot from the cart path on the par-4 17th hole when Kim Schard’s approach missed the green, but he squared it for par. Both players made bogey on the par-4 18th hole, forcing an extra hole. They made par on the first four holes of the playoff, with Long scoring an 18-foot hole on the second extra hole.
“It was an absolute battle all day there,” Long said. “Honestly, I’m so proud of my grit and determination for holding my head high and holding it high all day long and never giving up.”
Both finalists earned spots in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Riviera Country Club, with Kim Schard also competing in the 2027 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The previous longest match in tournament history was Robin Weiss’ 22-hole victory over Paige Marsh Lee in 1989.
