East Alton's Gracie Piar emerged victorious from a three-hole aggregate playoff with Lisa Copeland of Naperville.Day Three: Wednesday, June 3
And each year, Piar has made the four-hour-plus drive from Southern Illinois to the Chicagoland area to compete in the Illinois State Women’s Amateur Championship. Since the event moved to its current stroke-play format in 2024, she’s finished T-10th and 4th, respectively.
This year, she again trekked north, to Elgin Country Club’s rolling fairways, but instead proved that persistence can pay off as she prevailed in a three-hole aggregate playoff with Lisa Copeland (Naperville) to capture the event’s 93rd edition. The tandem finished Wednesday’s final round +2 overall, after Piar carded a 3-under 70 and Copeland notched an even-par 73.
“Awesome,” said Piar, 22, with a smile when asked how the win felt. “I’ve been coming up to Chicago for a long time for the Illinois State [Women’s] Am, and I’ve come close a few years, but never pulled it off. So, it’s awesome. It’s a great feeling.”
Related Links: (Scoring) / (Photo Gallery)Copeland, an incoming freshman at the University of Illinois, held a three-shot cushion at +2 entering Wednesday’s finale, with the other members of her pairing, Piar and Audrey Tir (Winnetka), both sitting at +5. Piar made her first move with a red figure at the par-4 third, while Copeland’s bogey dropped her lead to one. Copeland would recoup the lost shot with a birdie on No. 6, before relinquishing it again with a bogey on No. 7. The par–5 8th is where things got interesting.
After hitting her second shot into a fairway bunker to the right, Copeland managed to blast her approach into the bottom of the cup, smashing the flagstick en route to an eagle 3. With her third shot resting just over the green, Piar provided an answer of her own, chipping in for a birdie 4 to keep pace with the leader.
“Lisa is a great player, as you can tell,” said Piar of the pivotal moment. “After she eagled, it gave me a little motivation to do something good.”
Sitting one shot back at the turn, Piar utilized that motivation even further. Birdies on Nos. 11 and 14 provided a one-shot lead before a dropped shot on the precarious par-3 16th brought Copeland and Piar level yet again. A few groups ahead, Alexis Myers (Northbrook) held the clubhouse lead after firing a scintillating 5-under 68 to sit at +3 overall. Despite driving it right of the fairway on the 18th, and with Copeland on the green in two, Piar powered her approach to 15 feet, and both players two-putted to force the playoff.
Having graduated from Cal State Northridge just a few weeks ago, and with her vast experience in collegiate and amateur events, Piar’s nerves were, well, non-existent. Even with a State title she has yearned for within her reach.
“I don’t really get nervous,” Piar said. “I get more excited. After I made the two-footer on the 18th hole, I was ready to go to the playoff.
The pair matched pars on the 16th before the championship turned on No. 17. After a wayward tee shot, Copeland’s approach came up short of the false front, and a bogey opened the door for Piar, whose steady two-putt par gave her a one-shot advantage heading to the final hole.
With the honor on No. 18, Piar found the left rough and was unable to reach the green in regulation. Copeland answered with a well-struck fairway metal from the center of the fairway, but her approach failed to hold the back of the green. Faced with a difficult hole location on Elgin’s finisher, Copeland was unable to get up and down and eventually carded a bogey. Piar’s two-putt bogey was enough to close out a hard-fought victory and secure the title, and a hearty embrace with her caddie, and father, Jarrod.
“He’s taught me everything I know,” she said of her father. “He always caddies for me. I’m so glad we could pull it off. We work so well together. It was just awesome.”
After finally breaking through to the winner’s circle, Piar will soon set her eyes on the professional ranks. She will return to California in September for Q-School, hoping to turn her golf game into a career. But before then, she will head South for one more trip. With the win, Piar receives an automatic exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, with this year’s event slated for Aug. 4-9 at The Honours Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
What’s a few more miles for a second chance at a USGA title…right?
The 2026 slate of CDGA-administered Championships will set its sights on the Association’s oldest event, the CDGA Amateur Championship. The 106th edition will head to North Shore Country Club in Glenview, June 22-25.
Day Two: Tuesday, June 2
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Such successes are why it's no surprise to many around the state that the incoming University of Illinois freshman is at the top of the 93rd Illinois State Women’s Amateur Championship leaderboard for a second-consecutive day. Copeland carded a second-round 76 on a gusty Tuesday at Elgin Country Club to give herself a three-shot advantage over the field heading into the final 18 holes.
Fresh off a 1-under 72, Copeland began her second trip around the undulating track with four-straight pars before a bogey at the par-4 fifth sent her back to even par for the tournament. Her lone birdie of the day came at No. 8 to send Copeland out in even-par 35, and with a multi-shot advantage still in her pocket.
With the wind continuing to build, conditions toughened for the entire field as the day proceeded. A three-over 41 on the back concluded Copeland’s penultimate round, with the youngster remaining as poised as any.
“Conditions were tougher out there today,” Copeland said after the round. “The wind picked up earlier than yesterday, and some of the (hole locations) were a bit harder, so I knew today the name of the game would be bogey avoidance and I think I did that pretty well.
“You just have to think about how you’re ball striking,” Copeland remarked about the conditions. “If you hit a good shot and you get a bit unlucky, there’s really nothing you can do, so just try to control what you can control and just forget about the rest.”
Just a few years Copeland’s senior, Illinois State Women’s Am regular Ali Schrock (Pontiac) claimed the Illinois State Women’s Mid-Amateur title, a competition within the Championship between players 25 and older. This year marked the second time this honor has been awarded. Schrock posted rounds of 76 and 77 and sits T6 as the lone mid-amateur to advance above the 22-player cut line. At 7-over, the 25-year-old former Illinois State golfer sits just five off the lead, making her work at Elgin far from over.
“I feel like I have left myself in the golf tournament and given myself a chance,” Schrock said Tuesday. “I started pretty good today and didn’t play quite as well as I had hoped, I feel like I left a lot out there and didn't make many birdies, so I feel like there will be a lot of birdies out there for me tomorrow to give myself a chance… It’s great to be out here representing the mid-ams.”
Tied with Schrock at +7 are defending champion Bridget Butler (Barrington), Jillian Cosler (Orland Park) and Catie Nekola (St. Charles). One shot ahead is the duo of Katherine Lemke (Geneva) and Lexi Schulman (Vernon Hills). Schulman carded the round of the tournament thus far in the second round, as her 2-under 71 featured four birdies and just two bogeys. The round was a 10-shot improvement from Monday’s opener.
“I just learned from yesterday,” Schulman said. “I didn’t have the best round, but there were good and bad takeaways from it. Ultimately, I think I just learned how to miss in better spots and leave myself in good positions.”
Following round ones of 74 and 76, respectively, Audrey Tir (Winnetka) and Gracie Piar (East Alton) will join the leader, Copeland, in the final group, as their steady play continued. The two combined for five birdies on Tuesday and are three shots off the lead.
The final round is set to begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, with the Copeland/Piar/Tir group rounding out the field at 9:10 a.m.
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Lisa Copeland (Naperville), an incoming freshman at the University of Illinois, is the one standing alone at the top after the first round on Monday, posting a 1-under 72. Three birdies and a bogey on the back nine, playing as a par-38 for the Championship, began her day in impressive fashion, as Copeland made the turn at 2-under par. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 brought her to -4, before ensuing bogeys at Nos. 3, 5 and 7 closed her outward nine in 36.
“I was hitting the ball really well, didn’t really make any big mistakes and my putting was really solid,” she said following the round. “I had really good speed on my putts, which is important out here because the greens are pretty fast, so I think I just played steady.”
While Copeland, who hasn’t competed in the State Women’s Am since 2022, and Elgin provide fresh changes from years prior, those chasing close behind include many familiar faces. Defending champion Bridget Butler (Barrington) sits alone in second place and just one shot off the lead following an opening-round even par 73. Northbrook’s Alexis Myers, who finished T2 last June, is joined by Audrey Tir (Winnetka) two shots back and in a tie for third.
Three players returned to the field this year after posting back-to-back top-10s. All three - Nicole Johnson (Edwardsville), Gracie Piar (East Alton) and Ali Schrock (Pontiac) - are in the mix again at T6. The opening-round 76 gave Schrock an eight-shot advantage in the Illinois State Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which is set to be awarded following the second round if no eligible players advance to Wednesday’s final round.
The entire field will return to play 18 holes on Tuesday before a cut to the low 20 and ties. Those who make the cut will compete for the title on Wednesday morning.
BY THE NUMBERS
Bridget Butler on what worked well for her in Round 1… “Just staying in it mentally was big. I felt like today I was scrambling a lot. I missed a handful of greens on the front. I got a few putts to drop.”
Bridget Butler on the difference between this year and last year, as defending champion… “There’s a little pressure coming in as the defending champion. I’m trying to just come into it the same as last year, no expectations. Just try and put my best foot forward.”
Bridget Butler on having her caddie, Jack, back again this year… “It’s always good vibes with Jack. We just love to talk about whatever down the fairways. It’s nice to have a familiar face.”
Lisa Copeland on her familiarity with Elgin Country Club… “I’ve played in several qualifiers here in the past. This is actually where I first qualified for the Girls Junior PGA, so I really love this course and am pretty familiar with it. I love the layout, so I was really excited to come back and play it.”
Lisa Copeland on her return to the State Women’s Am… “I played back in 2022, so that was when it was at The Grove and it was match play. That was a really fun experience. It was my first Illinois State (Women’s) Am, so being able to come back and play this event again is really special.”
Alexis Myers on how the experience of being in the final group a year ago helped her… “I’d say just learning how to stay patient. I’m in the mix, which is good, and I know I didn’t have my A-game, so I know that I’m capable of coming back like I did last year.”
Alexis Myers on how her year of college golf helped her to grow… “Just playing in a bunch of different events and on a bunch of different courses, just adjusting to each one, has helped my overall game.”
Audrey Tir on bouncing back after opening bogeys… “Those two rough holes, I three-putted both of them. I think it was just working on my speed for putting and just knowing where to miss, especially with my approach shots.”
Audrey Tir on how her college golf experience helps her… “I think most of it is just knowing how to stay calm. That takes years of practice, knowing how to calm your emotions, even knowing not to get too excited after a birdie. I just try to take each shot one at a time.”
Preview
The 2026 slate of CDGA-administered Illinois State amateur championships kicks off next week with the 93rd Illinois State Women's Amateur Championship, slated for June 1-3 at Elgin Country Club. Formerly administered by the Illinois Women's Golf Association (IWGA), the event is open to Illinois residents with a Handicap Index® of 10.4 or below. The champion will earn an automatic exemption into this year's U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
Schedule
Monday, June 1
The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play.
Tuesday, June 2
The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play, with a cut to the low 20 and ties occurring after the completion of Round 2. The Illinois State Women's Mid-Amateur Champion (age 25 and older) will be crowned following Round 2 if no mid-amateurs advance to the final round.
Wednesday, June 3
The low 20 and ties will play 18 holes of stroke play.
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Championship Information
The Illinois State Women's Amateur Championship, traditionally conducted annually by the Illinois Women's Golf Association, was first played in 1934 at Evanston Golf Club. Conducted as match play through 2023, the event is now a 54-hole stroke play competition contested over three days. Barrington native and Stetson University golfer Bridget Butler captured her first State Women's Am crown in 2025 at The Grove. Also, for the first time in 2025, the Illinois State Women's Mid-Amateur champion was awarded to Dasa Urbankova as the lowest competitor age 25 and up following 36 holes of competition.
The Illinois State Women's Amateur champion earns an automatic exemption into the current year's U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/1/2026 to be eligible.
For those who qualify there is no additional entry fee to play in the Championship.
For exempt players, you will need to register under the Championship and pay the appropriate entry fee.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
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