Kate Walker, a senior at Crimson Cliffs High School in St. George, will face Arden Louchheim, a junior at the University of Nebraska, in 119th Women's State Am final
Six-time champion Kelsey Chugg will have to wait another year in her quest to win more Utah State Women’s Amateur titles than any woman except eight-time champion Bev Nelson.
Chugg, 34, made it to the semifinals this year at Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Course on Wednesday, but was defeated 3 and 1 by Nebraska golfer Arden Louchheim.
Chugg, the defending champion, is now 41-8 in State Am matches, having eliminated incoming BYU golfer Aadyn Long 5 and 3 Wednesday morning in the quarterfinals.
Louchheim, from Park City, will face off against St. George teenager Kate Walker in Thursday’s 36-hole championship match.
Walker, a rising senior at Crimson Cliffs High School, edged Westminster College golfer Ashley Lam 1 up in Wednesday’s other semifinal. She advanced to that round by beating incoming Weber State golfer Adley Nelson 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals.
While Chugg was defeating a future Cougar on Wednesday morning, Louchheim was defeating a current one with the same last name. She downed BYU’s Berlin Long, Aadyn’s sister, 5 and 3 to advance. Lam downed former Weber State golfer Rachel Lillywhite 2 and 1 in Wednesday morning’s other quarterfinal.
So the stage is set for the first 36-hole championship match in many years — Louchheim vs. Walker.
Louchheim (pronounced: LOCK-hime) is the daughter of Utah Jazz broadcaster David Locke. She lost to Chugg in the Round of 16 last year at TalonsCove, before Chugg went on to claim the crown over Ali Mulhall in the championship match.
Louchheim was a three-time Class 2A individual champion competing for Salt Lake City’s Rowland Hall in her high school career. She had a runner-up finish at the Nebraska Women’s Amateur in 2024.
Walker, 17, has won two 4A state individual titles at Crimson Cliffs High School and helped the Mustangs win the team title two months ago at Southgate Golf Club in St. George, despite having fractured her pinky finger in a car accident in mid-April.
She is also an accomplished swimmer, having placed fourth in the 100 butterfly in the 4A state meet in 2024. Walker had a relatively low seed (29th) because she shot a 78 in Monday’s stroke-play qualifying round, making the cut by only one shot.
119th Utah Women’s State Amateur
at Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Club
Wednesday’s Quarterfinal Matches
No. 17 Ashley Lam def. No. 24 Rachel Lillywhite, 2 and 1
No. 29 Kate Walker def. No. 21 Adley Nelson, 4 and 3
No. 7 Arden Louchheim def. No. 2 Berlin Long, 5 and 3
No. 3 Kelsey Chugg def. No. 11 Aadyn Long, 5 and 3
Wednesday’s Semifinal Matches
No. 29 Kate Walker def. No. 17 Ashley Lam, 1 up
No. 7 Arden Louchheim def. No. 3 Kelsey Chugg, 3 and 1
Thursday’s 36-hole Championship Match
Kate Walker vs. Arden Louchheim, 8 a.m.
Category: General Sports
