OZARK, Mo. (July 29, 2025) – The 2025 Women’s Fore State Championship wrapped up today at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club with Team Missouri finishing in second place. The team secured 7 points in the final round of singles matches, bringing their tournament total to 13.5 points.
Team Kansas claimed the championship with a strong showing in the singles format, earning 8.5 points today and finishing with 16 points overall. Arkansas tallied 6.5 points in the final round to take third place at 11.5, while Oklahoma finished fourth with 7 total points.
Missouri’s amateur players delivered a standout performance. Lyla Louderbaugh (Buffalo) earned a 1-up win over Oklahoma’s Natalie Blonien after a back-and-forth battle. Starting on hole 10, Louderbaugh fell behind after hole 14 but stormed back with birdies on 17 and 18. She held strong on the front nine to clinch the victory.
Reagan Zibilski (Springfield) defeated Kansas’ Hayley Jones 3 & 2, pulling away after a tied front nine with wins on holes 1, 2 and 4.
Kiser Pannier (Sedalia) fought to the final hole against Arkansas’ Caroline Hughes. After losing three straight holes on the back nine, she entered 18 one down but won the final hole in front of a gallery to tie the match and earn a half-point for Missouri.
Siena Minor (Hannibal) got off to a hot start with wins on the first three holes against Kansas’ Kate Tilma but ultimately fell 3 & 2.
In the mid-amateur division, Christie Blasi (Ozark) was the sole Missouri player to win her match, defeating Oklahoma’s Emily Baber 5 & 4. Blasi, competing at her home course, turned the match around on holes 5 and 6 and never looked back.
Dawna Jo Baker (Springfield) earned a half-point after a tight match with Arkansas’ Melissa Holland, where neither player won a hole after No. 14.
Mindy Coyle (Columbia) dropped a close 1-down match to Kansas’ Martha Linscott after Linscott took the lead on 17. Stephanie Cooper (Columbia) fell to Arkansas’ Julie Oxendine 7 & 6.
Missouri’s Masters Division added more key points to the board. Ellen Port (St. Louis) came from behind to win 1 up against Oklahoma’s Janet Miller.
Tina Jones (Wildwood) capped off a solid tournament with a 4 & 3 win over Kansas’ Mary Larson, allowing only one lost hole in the match.
Stephany Powell (Springfield) secured a 3 & 2 victory over Oklahoma’s Lori Harned, winning three of her last four holes to seal the deal. Donna Whittaker fell to Arkansas’ Risa Alexander 7 & 5.
With a final total of 13.5 points, Team Missouri finished just 2.5 points behind Team Kansas.
The Missouri Golf Association extends its sincere thanks to Millwood Golf and Racquet Club for hosting this year’s championship and to all players, captains and state associations for making this event a success.
To view full results and match-by-match pairings, click here.
For more information about the Women’s Fore State Championship, contact the MGA office at mogolf@mogolf.org or (573) 636-8994.
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OZARK, Mo. (July 28, 2025) – The first day of the 2025 Women’s Fore State Matches wrapped up today at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club, with Team Missouri finishing the day in second place with 6.5 total points, just behind Team Kansas, which leads with 7.5. Arkansas and Oklahoma are tied for third at 5 points each.
The Women’s Fore State Matches are an annual team competition between amateur women golfers from Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Each state selects 12 players—four amateurs (ages 34 and under), four mid-amateurs (ages 35–54) and four masters (ages 55 and older)—to compete in match play over two days. The event features a Ryder Cup-style format, including Four Ball, Foursomes and Singles matches. Missouri is serving as the host state this year.
Team Missouri opened the day with a strong showing in Four-Ball matches, earning 4 points—tied with Kansas for the lead after the morning session.
In the amateur division, Lyla Louderbaugh (Buffalo) and Reagan Zibilski (Springfield) earned a 3 & 2 victory over Arkansas’ Anna Kate Nichols and Mary Michael Witherell. Louderbaugh, who plays for the University of Kansas, and Zibilski, who plays for the University of Arkansas, took an early lead on the first hole and never looked back. Notably, Zibilski and Nichols are actually college teammates at Arkansas.
Fellow amateurs Kiser Pannier (Sedalia) and Siena Minor (Hannibal) fell just short in their match against Oklahoma’s Peyton Coburn and Natalie Blonien, losing 1 down. After going 3 down through the front nine, the Missouri pair mounted a comeback to tie the match on Hole 13 but ultimately couldn’t close the gap.
The mid-amateur team of Mindy Coyle (Columbia) and Christie Blasi (Ozark) delivered Missouri’s biggest win of the day, defeating Oklahoma’s Emily Baber and Jill Johnson 8 & 6. Blasi, competing on her home course, and Coyle won nine of the 12 holes played and only lost one.
Stephanie Cooper (Columbia) and Dawna Jo Baker (Springfield) faced a tough match against Kansas’ Katie Winters and Meghan Houtsma, losing 8 & 7. Missouri was unable to win a hole in that match.
In the masters division, Donna Whittaker (Springfield) and Tina Jones (Wildwood) earned a 3 & 2 victory over Arkansas’ Risa Alexander and Kim Robinson, never trailing during the match.
Meanwhile, Ellen Port (St. Louis) and Stephany Powell (Springfield) overcame an early deficit to beat Kansas’ Denise Desilet and Jayne Clark 3 & 1. Port and Powell tied the match on Hole 5 and gained momentum by winning Holes 6, 7 and 9 to take control heading into the back nine.
At the conclusion of the morning round, Missouri and Kansas each held 4 points, followed by Oklahoma (2.5) and Arkansas (1.5).
All Missouri players teed off from Hole 10 for the alternate shot format, and all pairings remained the same.
Coyle and Blasi earned their second win of the day, defeating Oklahoma’s Jill Johnson and Kim Bell 4 & 3. The Missouri mid-ams gained momentum by winning four straight holes from 13 through 16.
Port and Powell also went 2–0 on the day, winning 4 & 2 against Kansas’ Pam Simpson and Jayne Clarke. The pair went 1 up early and never relinquished the lead.
Jones and Whittaker tied their match against Oklahoma’s Janet Miller and Teresa DeLarzelere, earning half a point for Missouri.
The afternoon proved more challenging for Missouri’s amateur pairings. Pannier and Minor were defeated by Arkansas’ Anna Kate Nichols and Maggie Huett 5 & 4, failing to win a hole on the back nine.
Zibilski and Louderbaugh, after winning the first three holes of their match against Kansas’ Kate Tilma and Hillary Currier, saw their lead slip away and lost 2 & 1.
Cooper and Baker fell again in the afternoon, losing 4 & 3 to Arkansas’ Melissa Holland and Nora Phillips.
Missouri earned 2.5 points in the afternoon session, bringing their Day 1 total to 6.5 points. Kansas led the afternoon with 3.5 points, while Arkansas also added 3.5 and Oklahoma collected 2.5.
Singles matches begin tomorrow, July 29 at 8 a.m., with players teeing off from both the first and tenth holes. Each team will look to make one final push toward claiming the 2025 Women’s Fore State title.
For full results and pairings for tomorrow’s matches, click here.
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ABOUT MGA: The Missouri Golf Association is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf throughout the State of Missouri.
The Missouri Golf Association was started in St. Louis in 1905 to run the Amateur Championship. Four founding clubs would be the ones in existence in St. Louis in those early years – St. Louis Country Club, Algonquin Golf Club, Glen Echo Golf Club and Normandie Golf Club. Four years later, the invite-only Missouri Amateur was held in Kansas City at Evanston Club. 1911 marked the real organization of the MGA with Bonner Miller as Secretary and Executive Director. Ever since then, the MGA has striven to provide tournaments and spaces for Missouri golfers to sharpen their skills and enjoy the game.
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