Indiana Women’s Golf Association, Peru, IN. (July 16, 2026)
Three days of championship golf at Rock Hollow Golf Club came down to the final hole Thursday afternoon as Claire Swathwood held off a late charge from two of Indiana’s top amateurs to capture the 2026 IWGA Women’s Amateur Championship. Battling temperatures that once again climbed into the 90s, the field of 58 players faced one final test on a golf course that demanded patience, consistency and composure from start to finish.
Swathwood entered the day with a four-shot advantage after rounds of 69 and 70, but the championship was far from over. While she remained steady throughout the final round, Julia Potter-Bobb and Josie Kelley steadily chipped away at the lead, each posting rounds of 3-under-par 69 to make the closing stretch one of the most exciting finishes of the championship season.
Julia Potter-Bobb
Josie Kelley
As the leaders worked through the back nine, the leaderboard tightened with every hole. Potter-Bobb briefly caught Swathwood on the 16th hole, tying the championship and putting the pressure squarely on the tournament leader. But a bogey on the 17th hole gave Swathwood a one-shot advantage heading to the final tee, setting up a dramatic finish at Rock Hollow.
With the championship hanging in the balance, Swathwood delivered when it mattered most. Her drive found the middle of the fairway on the 18th hole while Potter-Bobb’s tee shot drifted right, leaving a much more difficult approach. Potter-Bobb’s recovery came up just short of the green, while Swathwood safely found the putting surface before calmly two-putting for par to secure the championship by one stroke.
Despite the pressure mounting over the closing holes, Swathwood said her focus never changed.
“I knew it was time for a couple players to make a run,” Swathwood said. “I just had to stick to the same thing I was doing. I kept telling myself to go on autopilot, not think too much, stay patient and trust what got me here.”
Although she could sense the leaderboard tightening, Swathwood resisted the temptation to constantly check scores around the course.
“I really didn’t look until the last four or five holes,” she said. “I could tell things were getting close, and I wanted to know where I stood, but I’m not an intense leaderboard watcher because I don’t like to get in my own head.”
Swathwood finished the championship at 4-under-par with rounds of 69, 70 and 73 for a 54-hole total of 212. Potter-Bobb and Kelley shared runner-up honors at 3-under-par, while Addi Kooi finished fourth at 2-under. Taylor Larkins rounded out the top five at even par after a final-round 71.
The victory marked one of the biggest accomplishments of Swathwood’s amateur career, the reward for years of hard work and perseverance.
“It’s probably the biggest one,” Swathwood said. “I’m so proud of myself. I’ve worked really hard, and I haven’t had a win in a long time, so this feels really good. I’ve worked so hard, and I’m just so happy.”
After three days of championship golf, relentless summer heat and one final test down the closing stretch at Rock Hollow Golf Club, Swathwood’s patience and consistency proved to be the difference, earning her the title of 2026 IWGA Women’s Amateur Champion.
Results: https://iga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/iga26/event/iga2682/contest/9/leaderboard.htm