Redding, Connecticut (July 16, 2025) – It was a tour de force for Yvette O’Brien at the 60th Connecticut Women’s Amateur hosted by Redding Country Club.
Beginning the final round with a 12-shot lead, O’Brien (Greenwich CC) didn’t take her foot off the gas as she not only maintained her advantage but thanks to birdies on the last two holes extended her final margin of victory to 14 shots.
“It’s always just been me against me,” Yvette O’Brien said of her dominating victory. “I’m always trying to be the best version of myself out there. So I just focused on my own play and didn’t worry about what other people were doing. It wasn’t easy today, for sure. But I had a good finish, so that was great.”
O’Brien was tied for the lead when play was suspended on Monday before spending all of Tuesday taking sole possession of the lead and then padding it. The TCU commit played the last two holes of her first round in 3-under going birdie, eagle to take the lead.
For those keeping track at home in her last two CSGA wins, O’Brien has recorded an ace and a hole-out eagle. The hole-in-one came in the first round of her 2024 Connecticut Girls’ Junior victory while the eagle happened on the par-4 18th at Redding CC.
Once in the lead, O’Brien never looked back and in the final round she played steady golf before ending her round with two exclamation points.
O’Brien was 4-over for her final round following a bogey on No. 16. Frustrated by the bogey, O’Brien took her frustration out on her very next shot, the tee shot on the par-4 17th. With driver in hand, O’Brien thrashed at her tee shot, flying it 270 yards and landing her ball on the front of the green just 20 feet short of the hole.
When talking about her tee shot on No. 17 O’Brien stated her shock in driving the green, “my caddie and I didn’t even shoot the green. We shot the bunkers 260 yards away.”
Thanks to the extra adrenaline, O’Brien had a look for eagle. The two-time Connecticut Girls’ Junior winner did leave the lengthy eagle putt short but she was able to convert the short birdie attempt.
With just one hole remaining, O’Brien was determined to finish in style. O’Brien found the fairway off the tee and then stuffed a wedge to five feet. Moments later, she rolled in the birdie putt to cap off a birdie-birdie finish and conclude a three-round tally of 2-over thanks to rounds of 71-72-72. For the week, O’Brien played holes 17 and 18 in 6-under recording four birdies and an eagle.
“It’s so great,” a smiling O’Brien said of her victory. “I’m so happy to be here. The golf course is beautiful. I just took it one shot at a time today and ultimately ended up with the win, which is great.”
In addition to getting her name etched on the Connecticut Women’s Amateur trophy, O’Brien became the first player to win both the Connecticut Girls’ Junior and Connecticut Women’s Amateur. O’Brien also earned an automatic qualifying spot into the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur set to be played from August 4-10 at the famed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
For O’Brien, who will play in the Canadian Women’s Amateur at the end of the month, it will be her first appearance in the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
“I’m so excited to play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur,” O’Brien said. “And to play at Bandon Dunes, there aren’t many places greater than that. It’s going to be a great experience. And I’m just going to get prepared for it in the meantime.”
Rounding out the top five were 2023 champion Arabella Lopez (Redding CC) in second place at 16-over, Mia Rodgers (Fairview CC) was third at 20-over, Sofia Nogalo (Rockrimmon CC) took fourth at 22-over, while in fifth it was Laniah Moffett (CC of Waterbury) at 25-over.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Women’s Amateur is one of 20 championships conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association. The CSGA functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
