5th BMW GAP Women’s Championship: Day Two

Lydic defends GAP Women’s title at Jericho

NEW HOPE, Pa. – A pair of familiar hands holds the BMW GAP Women’s Championship trophy.

| Scoring Portal | Day One recap | History | Photo Gallery | The Final3: Jericho National |

Sarah Lydic, of Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club, defended her title at Jericho National Golf Club (par 72, 6,073 yards) in the fifth edition of the event. She handedly took the title in wire-to-wire fashion with a three-round total of 2-under-par 214. Lydic finished four shots clear of runner-up Jackie Rogowicz of Merion Golf Club, who took second at 2-over-par 218. 

“It feels good to win any tournament, but it feels good to be able to do it back-to-back,” Lydic, 20, of Ocean View, Del., said. “I’ve never done something like that before, so that’s kind of cool.” 

Lydic is the second player in event history to capture consecutive GAP Women’s Championship titles. Anna Kittelson of GAP Oaks Club completed the feat in 2023-24.  

A look in the annals of GAP Women’s Championship history reveals a bit of déjà vu attached to Lydic’s victory. In last year’s BMW GAP Women’s Championship, Lydic held an eight-shot lead after Day One. She extended her lead during the Final Round and dominantly won by 11 strokes. 

This year’s event unfolded in a similar trajectory. Lydic slept on a six-shot lead after Round Two Monday. 

“This tournament I was looking at the leaderboard,” Lydic, who just finished her sophomore season at Wake Forest University, said. “I’m out here to win it and to go as low as possible. That’s been my mindset the past couple of months.” 

She awoke this morning refreshed and ready to finish the job. A pre-tournament routine, which includes rising early, sipping black coffee and bible reading, helps to get her mind right. 

“Nothing to create anxiety or anything. Just [doing] whatever makes me comfortable,” Lydic said. 

On this day, Lydic got off to an uncomfortable start. 

“I was just kind of hitting the ball around. I didn’t really feel like I was hitting it well. I was just like, ‘It is what it is.’ That was a completely wrong mindset,” Lydic said. “I was like, ‘You gotta start something here or it’s not going to go well.’ That motivated me and fueled me a bit to keep me going. I’m competitive.” 

Rogowicz cut Lydic’s lead to three after a pair of uncharacteristic bogeys for Lydic in her opening six holes. 

The aforementioned self-reflection allowed Lydic to move the needle into red-line territory. She left the field in the dust with four birdies in a five-hole stretch. Quick tee pick-ups and early returns to the cart followed the fruitful shotmaking.

Lydic was the only player to finish the tournament in red figures. The same was true last year. 

On No. 7 (par 5, 480 yards), Lydic laid up to 64 yards with a 6-hybrid. She followed it up with a 62-degree wedge to three feet. On the next, No. 8 (par 4, 270 yards), she teed off with a 5-wood which landed just 15 feet short of the flagstick on the front fringe. Her ensuring chip settled to a couple inches. On the par 4, 373-yard, 9th, she stopped an 8-iron from 152 yards to five feet. Her birdie barrage ended with pitching wedge from 106 yards to seven feet on No. 11 (par 4, 362 yards). 

“My putter is doing well,” Lydic said. “I started off, I couldn’t make a thing. It was frustrating on the first couple holes. Once I get some momentum, I start to make putts. That’s where my strength is.”

Lydic is focused on boosting her golf acumen in competition. A talk with her coach about strategy in upcoming events is on the horizon. World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) serves as the measuring stick. 

“Ranking is what’s important to me at the moment,” Lydic, who currently sits at 631st, said. “I’ve dropped probably 300 spots this summer. That helps be a bit, especially coming into my junior year where I want to play at Wake.” 

The BMW GAP Women’s Championship is the last tournament on Lydic’s calendar until the U.S. Women’s Amateur Aug. 4-9 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. It will be her third appearance in the Championship proper. 

“I’ve never made match play,” Lydic said. “The goal is to win obviously, but you have to make match play to win it.”

She’ll bring her winning attitude with her.

NOTES– In 2025, the BMW GAP Women’s Championship expanded from an 18-hole event to a 54-hole event to comply with World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) eligibility standards.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.