An Even Par 71 Gives Stewart the Early Lead at MGA Women's Amateur Championship at Northland

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


DULUTH, Minn. – Since moving to Minnesota in May, Alexandra Stewart has played in three state championships—claiming her first victory at the Minnesota Golf Association Mixed Amateur Team Championship in June.

Stewart moved her way to the top of the leaderboard once again after firing an even par 71 Monday to pace the field to begin the 2017 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship at Northland Country Club.

“I got off to a really good start and played solid coming in,” Stewart said following the opening round Monday. “I made a mistake at six and had a few errant shots that cost me.

“You need to hit fairways out here and the greens are really tricky—you definitely need to look where the lake is. I was just trying to leave it on the right side of the hole."

Getting her short irons going early Monday, Stewart converted two birdie chances from inside three feet at both the second and fourth holes before sinking a long putt at the par-3 fifth to get to 3-under through five.

After a bogey at the sixth, Stewart would turn at 2-under but would draw even following back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th holes and would finish her opening round with a string of five consecutive pars to shoot 71 and take a three-shot advantage over defending champion Sarah Burnham, Kate Smith, Taylor Ledwein and Athena Yang.

Stewart lost to Olivia Herrick in the semifinals of the 74th MGA Women's Amateur Match Play Championship in June at Bent Creek Golf Club, before winning the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship with partner Max Tyler, highlighted by a round of 12-under par 60 to begin the tournament.

Smith, the state’s only five-time individual state champion, got to 1-under with a birdie at the fifth, rolling in a three-footer, but would card back-to-back bogeys at the sixth and seventh to fall to 1-over for the day. She bounced back quickly by converting a short birdie chance at the par-5 ninth to turn at even par.

Unable to get up-and-down at the 10th, Smith went back to 1-over and would finish her first round with two bogeys over her final two holes to shoot 74 and into a four-way tie for second.

“I putted well but I had a lot of close birdie putts that didn’t fall, so it could’ve been better,” Smith said Monday. “My ball striking was good and I hit my driver better than I’ve hit it in a while. That helps out here because it can be a little long.

“I’m excited about tomorrow—I put in a lot of work before the tournament and I definitely didn’t put myself out of it today. I’m hoping to have a few more putts fall tomorrow. I haven’t played her in a while and didn’t take a practice round, so I’m still feeling my way around the course.”

Ledwein, New Prague Golf Club, started the opening round on the 10th tee and quickly moved to 1-under with a birdie at the 11th, rolling in a six-footer. Back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes put Ledwein at 1-over for the championship and she would add two more bogeys over her final nine to shoot 74.

“I thought I played well today—I hit my driver really well and hit a lot of fairways. I just didn’t convert any birdie putts,” Ledwein said Monday. “If I can hit some close approach shots and make some birdies I think I’ll be good.”

Burnham, a two-time winner and defending champion, played a solid front nine, recovering from a bogey on the opening hole to shoot 1-over on the front.

Recording two birdies and a bogey over her first four holes on the back nine Monday, Burnham took a double-bogey at the 15th to fall to 2-over before finishing with a bogey on the final hole to shoot 74.

Burnham won her first Women’s State Amateur in 2012 at Mendakota Country Club before winning both the Women’s State Amateur and the Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association State Public Links Championship last year. At the latter, she set a course record at Koronis Hills Golf Club by shooting a final-round 65.

The MGA Women’s State Amateur Championship is a combination of the Women’s State Amateur and the MWPGA State Public Links Championship due to the two clubs merging last fall.

This week’s championship marks the third time Northland has hosted the event. Beverly (Gammon) Vanstrum won the 1968 Women’s State Amateur, and most recently, Betsy Seitz won the championship in 1980.

Monday’s opening round was highlighted by Brenda Williams’ ace at the 150-yard 17th hole, where she knocked in her tee shot using a 5-hybrid.

The 2017 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship continues Tuesday with tee times scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Northland Country Club.