By Fred Altvater
Kimberly Dinh, of Midland, won her first USGA National title by overcoming a 3-down deficit to defeat the 2017 USGA Mid-Amateur Champion, Kelsey Chugg. The 2023 Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship was hosted by Stonewall Golf Club near Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia.
“In college, I never really played in any USGA events, mostly because by the time the summer came around, I was burned out and I didn’t want to travel. So having an opportunity to compete in a USGA championship after grad school, after college, has been awesome, and to win it, just incredible.”
Her win was also remarkable in that she broke her ankle skiing in January and didn’t pick up a club until April.
Dinh attended Wisconsin University (2012-2015) and played on the women’s golf team. She was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten scholar athlete and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.
Chugg, from Salt Lake City, was playing in her third U.S. Women’s Mid-Am final match in the last six years and it appeared she would add another trophy to her collection, when she jumped out to a 3-up lead after just seven holes.
After trading pars over the next four holes, Chugg maintained her 3-up lead through 11 holes, normally the kiss of death in match play.
Over the final seven holes the pair would not tie a single hole. When Chugg’s putter became a problem, Dinh won six of the last seven holes giving the Michigan native the 2-up victory.
“To lose a couple holes pretty quickly was a little bit frustrating, but I just kind of dug deep and never really panicked,” said Dinh. “Kelsey was playing great golf, but both of us were going to make mistakes at some point, so I just kind of had to weather that and keep playing. I said to myself, ‘I’ll keep putting one good swing on the ball after another and see where it takes me.’”
Dinh won the 2022 Michigan Amateur Championship and said of that experience.
“I have learned something every time I’ve gotten to match play, just every time I’ve played it, I’ve gotten more comfortable with it. I’ve learned that even if you get down to not panic. At [the Michigan Amateur] this past year, I had a couple matches that went to extra holes and I had to make putts to get to extra holes, so I’ve been in high-pressure situations and have gotten used to it.”
For Dinh, it’s the icing on an incredible mid-amateur career that has included a win at the Michigan Women’s Amateur, as well as two wins at the Michigan Women’s Mid-Amateur. Earlier this year, Dinh played in her first ever LPGA event, the Dow Great Lakes Invitational, sponsored by her employer, Dow, where she works as a senior research specialist.
For the win Dinh receives; a gold medal, the Mildred Gardiner Prunaret Trophy, and exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am Championships, both the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, as well as entry into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open.
