SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. – Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth was disappointed following her opening round score of 7-over par 80 at the 2022 Women’s PGA Cup at Twin Warriors Golf Club.

Connelly-Eiswerth, a Teaching Professional from Fleming Island and a North Florida PGA Section Member, responded in a big way for the United States on both Friday and Saturday, as she was the team’s top performer during the second and third rounds. 

Connelly-Eiswerth recorded her second consecutive 3-under par 70 to help the United States (1-under par, 656) win the second Women’s PGA Cup by two strokes over Canada (1-over par, 658). 

Great Britain & Ireland (662) finished in third place, followed by Australia (686) in fourth, Sweden (698) in fifth and South Africa (753) – playing in the PGA Cup for the first time – in sixth.

The Americans rallied after being down by five strokes to the Great Britain/Ireland team after the turn on the final day.

The U.S. has captured both Women’s PGA Cups after also winning the inaugural event in 2019 at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. 

The United States Team began the third and final round with a one-shot lead over first-round leader Team Canada.

“Nobody panicked,” said PGA President and U.S. Captain Jim Richerson. “Everybody just played their game, concentrating on what we talked about all week, which was one shot at a time, one hole at a time.”

Connelly-Eiswerth’s par on the par-4, 395-yard 18th hole clinched the title. She was immediately mobbed by teammates as the celebration began. 

“It’s everything and more,” said Connelly-Eiswerth. “I really wanted to qualify for this. To qualify and also to win it, it’s not just being here and being part of the team. You want to win with the team. It’s truly incredible.”

Philadelphia PGA Section Member Joanna Coe, the Director of Instruction at Merion Golf Club in ​Haverford, Pennsylvania; and Middle Atlantic PGA Section Member Ashley Grier, an Assistant Golf Professional at Yingling’s Golf Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, were the U.S. team’s next two lowest scorers. 

Coe registered an even-par 73, while Grier shot 1-over par 74 to help the U.S. record a 2-under par 217 on the final day. 

“All week, I hit it really about as well as I could have asked for,” said Grier. “We stayed patient, didn’t try to force anything, and made a few birdies here and there. That was the difference.”

The 10th, 11th and 12th holes at Twin Warriors Golf Club proved challenging throughout the week due to their extreme elevation changes and sightlines and winter-like weather conditions on Thursday. 

The U.S. team’s top three scorers combined for even-par through that three-hole stretch on Saturday. Meanwhile, Canada recorded a pair of back-nine bogeys that proved pivotal. 

“That really helped,” said Richerson. “We picked up a couple of shots there. The ladies played fantastic down the stretch to retain the Cup. I’m just so proud of the way they played.”

Connelly-Eiswerth’s 1-under par 35 on the back nine helped close out the win. She birdied the par-4 350-yard 14th and the par-5 542-yard 16th. Grier also birdied the 16th to help the U.S. hold off Canada.  

“I was hitting the ball really well,” said Connelly-Eiswerth. “I was getting on the green. I kept giving myself chances. The biggest thing is that I stayed on the shot that was in front of me. I was happy to mentally stay in the moment.”

For Canada, Caroline Ciot shot 3-under par 70, while Christine Wong posted an even-par 73, and Casey Ward registered a 2-over par 75 to help their team finish at 218. 

Great Britain & Ireland (224) was led by Heather MacRae (3-under par 70), Suzanne Dickens (2-over par 75) and Alison Gray (3-over par 76) on Saturday. 

Coe thinks the competition this week is a strong testament to the state of women’s golf across the world.  

“I’m just so proud of the PGA of America and proud of women’s golf for another team to be added to this event,” said Coe. “For us to end up under par as a team after that craziness of round one, we got a squad for sure. For the other countries to be right there with us, that means women’s golf is in a really good place.”

Winning the 2022 Women’s PGA Cup as U.S. Captain will be a lasting memory for Richerson. 

“When you’re fortunate enough to be elected as an Officer and represent PGA Members, you get to be involved in some really cool things,” said Richerson. “The things that stand out for me the most are those that are memories with PGA Members. Being involved with this team with five unbelievable PGA Professionals, five ladies that are unbelievable players, it’ll be a memory that I have for a long time.”