Family matters and work have kept her from trying to qualify again after making match play in the 2004 championship in Knoxville, Tenn. She’s even signed up for qualifying in recent years, but something has always forced her to withdraw.

But on Thursday, she did return to qualifying — and she showed little rust. The former University of Oregon golfer earned medalist honors in the qualifier at Pinehurst Country Club, shooting a 4-over-par 76.

“I haven’t played in a lot of competitive qualifying rounds for a while so I was a little bit nervous,” Roh said. “So I was happy with how I ended up finishing. I thought I played well.”

Roh, a former professional who won one mini-tour event before regaining her amateur status in 2003, led a group of several Coloradans in qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur on Thursday. In all, six players secured spots in the national championship, which will be contested Sept. 10-15 at The Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa.

Roh set the pace with a two-birdie, six-bogey performance at Pinehurst. Joining her in advancing to nationals were Tiffany Maurycy of Denver (77), Jennifer Delgadillo of El Paso, Texas (80), Meghan Christensen of Houston and Vail (80), Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Centennial (81) and Kareen Markle of Meridian, Idaho (81). (Pictured are, from left, Christensen, Roh, Maurycy and Delgadillo. Not pictured are Moore and Markle.)

It’s the 16th time Moore has qualified for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.

Moore and Markle prevailed in a playoff with Jamie Zook of Colorado Springs to land the final two national berths. Markle has likewise qualified for multiple U.S. Women’s Mid-Ams in recent years.

For Roh — a Coloradan since 2001 — it will be her third USGA championship. She previously competed in a U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2004 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am. In that national Mid-Am, Roh earned the seventh seed with a strong performance in stroke play, but then promptly lost in the first round of match play, 3 and 1, to 58th-seeded Mina Hardin, who six years later would win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

“I had really good qualifying rounds and then just played terrible in my first match (in 2004),” said Roh, a 42-year-old who plays out of Lakewood Country Club. “I definitely want to make it to match play again and hopefully not lose my first match.

“I’m really excited. I think it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a great representation from Colorado.”

The Women’s Mid-Am is limited to players 25 and older.

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Pinehurst CC in Denver
ADVANCED TO U.S. WOMEN’S MID-AM
Susie Roh, Denver, Colo. 38-38–76
Tiffany Maurycy, Denver, Colo. 37-40–77
Jennifer Delgadillo, El Paso, Texas 42-38–80
Meghan Christensen, Houston, Texas 40-40–80
Janet Moore, Centennial, Colo. 41-40–81
Kareen Markle, Meridian, Idaho 41-40–81
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Jamie Zook, Colorado Springs, Colo. 41-40–81
Molly Dorans, Firestone, Colo. 41-41–82
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. 41-41–82
Giuliana Colavito, Italy 41-42–83
Sue O’Connor, Scottsdale, Ariz. 41-42–83
Christie Austin, Denver, Colo. 42-41–83
Amy Hodgkinson, Longmont, Colo. 42-42–84
Tanya Krempel, Breckenridge, Colo. 48-37–85
Joanna Ringsby, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 42-43–85
Monica Meihack, Sandia Park, N.M. 42-46–88
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs, Colo. 43-48–91

In one of the better chances players have of qualifying for a USGA championship, 18 competitors will vie for six spots into the national Women’s Mid-Am, which this year will be contested Sept. 10-15 at The Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa.

Moore made it to the round of 64 in match play at last year’s national championship.

Among those also in this year’s qualifying field will be fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin, who qualified for the Women’s Mid-Am most recently in 2014, and another multiple-time qualifier, Kareen Markle.

The Women’s Mid-Am is limited to players 25 and older.

For Thursday’s pairings, CLICK HERE.

But none was as good as Thursday’s, which just happened to come in the qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Stypula, a member at Boulder Country Club since 1997 and a full golf member since 2001, shot a 1-over-par 73 and shared medalist honors with part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy. (Stypula, in yellow, is pictured with Hardy.)

Considering Hardy has made it to the semifinals and quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur — in separate years — and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, tying her for medalist is no small feat.

“This is the best round I’ve ever played — and on a big day,” said the 59-year-old Stypula, a former girls golf coach at Fairview High School. “This is probably my biggest (golf) accomplishment. My feeling is working with girls stands a little higher, but in competition, this is the biggest.”

In all, seven players out of Thursday’s field of 20 earned spots into the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, which is limited to players 25 and older. The national championship is scheduled for Sept. 6-11 in Noblesville, Ind.

Joining Stypula and Hardy in qualifying were Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore of Cherry Hills Village (74), former USGA Executive Committee member Christie Austin of Greenwood Village (77), Shannon Langhardt of Lakewood (78), Kareen Markle of Eagle, Idaho (78) and Lynn Fischer of Niwot (81 and winning a playoff against Blair Fraser of Boulder).

Hardy, who’s married to nationally recognized golf instructor Jim Hardy, has competed in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am more than 20 times, while Moore has played in a dozen.

Stypula, the BCC senior women’s club champion each of the last two years, will be competing in the national Mid-Amateur for the first time.

“It sounds like fun,” she said.

Stypula actually shot a 73 in one previous round at Boulder Country Club this year, but that came on a set of tee boxes much shorter than Thursday’s, which measured 6,175 yards. Before Thursday, she had played those tees just twice.

For the day, Stypula finished with four birdies and five bogeys. Her four birdie putts ranged from 15 feet to the 35-footer she drained on No. 18.

“Those were just gifts,” said Stypula, who owns a handicap index of just under 6.0. “It was a really lovely day.”

Though players as young as 25 can compete in the Mid-Am, all of Monday’s top four scorers are at least 49 years old.

Hardy, despite her credentials, had to rally Thursday after starting poorly. She double-bogeyed her first hole and was 4 over par after four. But she went 3 under par for her last 14 holes and finished birdie-birdie-par.

“I knew I had a lot of golf in front of me” after the slow start, said Hardy, 52. “I was thinking, ‘One hole at a time and make pars.’ I drove the ball really well and love the golf course.”

Hardy, a former basketball and volleyball player at UC-Irvine, has played in a number of USGA qualifiers in Colorado in recent years. This trip to Boulder was about a 4 1/2-hour drive from the Hardys’ home near Gunnison. The Hardys, who live in Houston most of the year, are members at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison.

“We enjoy it so much,” Marilyn Hardy said of living in the area during the summer. “There’s so much to do out here.”

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
At Par-72 Boulder CC

ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Marilyn Hardy, Houston TX 38-35–73
Catherine Stypula, Boulder CO 36-37–73
Janet Moore, Cherry Hills Village, CO 35-39–74
Christie Austin, Greenwood Village, CO 40-37–77
Kareen Markle, Eagle, ID 39-39–78
Shannon Langhardt, Lakewood CO 37-41–78
Lynn Fischer Niwot, CO 38-43–81

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Blair Fraser, Boulder, CO 40-41–81
Annette Gaiotti, Salt Lake City, UT 39-43–82

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Meghan Christensen, Vail Colorado 43-42–85
Karen Hale Boynton Beach FL 43-42–85
Suzanne Smith, Breckenridge, CO 42-44–86
Janice Roberts Wilson, Northeast, FL 43-44–87
Lisa Lee, Longmont, CO 42-47–89
Katy Rothberg, Denver CO 46-43–89
Jessi McVay, Denver, CO 43-47–90
Joanna Ringsby, Denver, CO 49-41–90
Beverly Hoffenberg, Greenwood Village, CO 45-46–91
Sue Davis, Denver, CO 45-46–91
Jennifer Hocking Colorado Springs, CO WD