Former Buffs take another step forward as Erin Houtsma and Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner finish strong to advance to U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur round of 32
By Gary Baines – 8/31/2026
Those former University of Colorado golfers, they certainly finished strong on Monday at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. As a result, they’ll have match-play round-of-32 tee times on Tuesday at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J.
Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner from Lafayette rallied after being 1 down through 17 holes of her round-of-64 match to birdie two straight holes and advance with a 19-hole victory over Erica Whitehouse of Mechanicsville, Va.
Then Erin Houtsma of Denver, who had never before led in her opening match, birdied the 18th hole for a 1-up win over Mary Janiga Kartes of Grand Rapids, Mich.
In Tuesday’s round of 32, Hodgkins-Redner will face fifth-seeded Talia Campbell of New York City, a former Notre Dame golfer who finished runner-up in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am. And Houtsma, a teacher in Denver, will square off against another New York City resident, Hana Ku, a Princeton graduate who is a senior manager at Amazon and last year made the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the areas of Transportation & Mobility. Ku is seeded 15th after the stroke-play portion of the Mid-Am.
The winners of those matches will advance to the round of 16 on Tuesday afternoon.
It will be the second straight trip to the round of 32 for Hodkins-Redner, winner of the 2020 CGA Women’s Match Play and the 2025 CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur. Houtsma, meanwhile, is headed to the round of 32 at the national championship for the third time, having advanced as far as the round of 16 in 2019.
On Monday, Hodgkins-Redner was 2 up after 13 holes, but Whitehouse won three of the next four to take the lead going into 18. Hodgkins-Redner then birdied both the 301-yard par-4 18th hole and the 505-yard par-5 first hole to walk away with the victory. The former Buff golfer finished 3 over par through 19 holes, compared to 4 over for Whitehouse.
As for Houtma, winner of the 2005 Colorado Women’s Open and three CGA Women’s Mid-Amateurs, had an ever-so-close match with Janiga Kartes. After Houtsma won the eighth hole with a birdie to knot the match, the two players tied seven of the next nine holes, with Janiga Kartes winning 13 with a birdie and Houtsma No. 14 with a par. Tied going into No. 18, Houtsma’s birdie gave her not only the lead for the first time, but the 1-up victory.
Houtma finished 1 over par for the day, playing her last 15 holes in 2 under.
U.S. WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR RESULTS FOR COLORADANS
Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J.
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 MONDAY
Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner, Lafayette, def. Erica Whitehouse, Mechanicsville, Va., 19 holes
Erin Houtsma, Denver, def. Mary Janiga Kartes, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1 up
STROKE PLAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Advance to Match Play
21. Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner, Lafayette 72-76—148
40. Erin Houtsma, Denver 79-72–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Molly Dorans, Firestone 83-83—166
U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR RESULTS FOR COLORADANS
Baltimore Country Club in Lutherville, Md.
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Ed Kerr, Windsor 76-75—151 (Didn’t earn one of the last 3 match-play spots, going par, then bogey, in a 13-for-3 playoff)
David Johnson, Berthoud 75-77—152
Owen Ellis, Boulder 83-82–165
Colorado Golf Journal 