b'GOLF IDAHOGridley crowned Mid-Amateur ChampionThe dominance theme continued on the Mid-Amateur side as well, with newly minted Mid-Am player Madison Gridley cruising to a five-stroke victory over defendingAfter the final round of the two womens championships at Hillcrest Country Club, Andrea champion Bailey Henley. Baxter-Bretz, a two-time Idaho Womens Amateur champion and collegiate All-American at Gridley graduatedStanford, addressed the banquet attendees, talking about her experiences of playing amateur golf, her college years, and her career as a golf instructor in which she was named the 2011 from Northwest NazareneTeacher of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Section PGA. University (NNU) this spring, qualifying her for Mid-Amateur competition inWomens Amateur Idaho, and she made the most of that opportunity whileBanquet and Celebration competing in the Womens Amateur and Mid- AmateurFollowing the final round of the Womens Amateur and divisions. She finished T-6 inMid-Amateur Championships, the players and a cast of the Amateur.other womens golf supporters in Idaho gathered for a Along for the wire-to-wirebanquet to recognize the ever-richer community of women victory was her caddie andgolfers in the Gem State. former teammate GraysonThe 2024 Amateur Championships & Celebration Giboney, who she creditedmarked an inaugural effort to give the Womens Amateur with keeping her on track forits own stage. To facilitate this, the Amateur and Mid-much of the week.Amateur were held concurrently at the same venue, Me and Grayson justseparate from the Mens Amateur. Words of advice from had fun the whole timeweJoining the post-championship festivities was 2022Andrea Baxter-Bretz to played really smart, sheMid-Amateur Champion Lori Harper to host a conversationyoung playerssaid. That was honestly thewith two-time Idaho Womens Amateur Champion andBe fun to play withkey to this week, just golfformer Stanford All-American Andrea Baxter-Bretz. management. I dont thinkBaxter-Bretz grew up playing on the Idaho Junior TourWhen youre I would have played as welland went on to play for the Stanford Cardinal (overlappingnot practicing, without him. with none other than Eldrick Tiger Woods on Stanfordssomebody else isHenley finished in secondmens team) and earned first and second team All-place, 15 strokes clear of aAmerican honors to go along with several top finishes inYou are only as good small crop of former IGAmajor amateur and collegiate events. as your last round champions including 1997Baxter-Bretz turned professional after college andLet your golf do the Womens Amateur Championspent many years as a golf instructor at BanBury Golftalking Sheryl Scott, and former Mid- Course in Eagle. In 2011, she was named Teacher of the Am Champs Michelle Gooding- Year by the Rocky Mountain Section PGA. As part of herWork hard, play hardBadiola and Lori Harper. discussion with Harper, she shared her experiences withhave a non-golf outlet the players in the room, many of whom are in or soon to Tee it up for yourself be entering the college ranks. 4 GOLF IDAHO|SEPT 2024'