Burnham Comes From Behind to Defeat Herrick for Second Straight MWPGA Match Play Win

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  COON RAPIDS, Minn. – With three consecutive birdies on the back nine Sunday at Bunker Hills Golf Club, Sarah Burnham rallied from an early deficit to defeat Olivia Herrick and claim her second straight Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association Match Play Championship.

Herrick, winner in 2008 and 2010, took control of the match early and carried the lead into the turn but Burnham won four consecutive holes to start the final nine, making some key putts down the stretch to eventually defeat Herrick, 2 and 1.

“I wanted to come in and play my game, but I was struggling a bit early on. I wasn’t striking my irons that well and putting a little too aggressively,” Burnham said after her win Sunday, “I started to hit the ball better and get more confidence so I was able to focus a little more.

“I’m excited—I love playing in these events, they’re always a lot of fun,” she said.

Taking advantage of an early bogey by Burnham on the second hole, Herrick grabbed the early lead before Burnham squared the match on the following hole with a birdie.

Herrick, Manitou Ridge Golf Club, played a steady front nine, shooting 2-over par 38, regaining the lead after Burnham’s second bogey of the day at the fourth.

The two-time champion Herrick improved her lead after yet another bogey by Burnham at the seventh and Herrick would carry a 2-up lead to the final nine holes Sunday.

The match was ultimately decided on the putting surface Sunday as Burnham began to build momentum at No. 10 with a four-foot putt for par after missing the green left, cutting into Herrick’s lead.

Both Burnham and Herrick found the rough off the tee at the 11th, but Burnham put her second just short of the green and rolled in her second straight birdie after pitching to five feet from the flagstick, pulling even with Harrick.

Burnham’s poise was evident as she claimed her first lead of the day by dropping a 25-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th hole before sticking her approach to inside three feet at the 13th, making birdie to take a sizeable 2-up lead with five holes to play.

With a birdie opportunity at the par-5 14th and a chance to cut into the deficit, Herrick left her putt short while Burnham rolled her three-foot par to maintain a 2-up lead.

Herrick’s approach at the 15th rolled into the rough behind the green and after leaving her birdie putt short, her par putt slid past the right edge as Burnham’s lead grew to three with just three holes remaining.

Herrick fought back at the par-4 16th as she two-putted for par, while Burnham failed to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker and her lead was trimmed to two with two holes to play.

At the par-3 17th, Burnham’s tee shot found the bunker right of the green but she would put her second to five feet, rolling in her par putt to clinch her second straight MWPGA Match Play victory, playing the final eight holes at 2-under par.

Burnham, Rush Creek Golf Club, defeated three-time champion and Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer, Leigh Klasse, 1-up a year ago at Phalen Park Golf Course after carding a 5-under par 66.

She would went on to win five amateur titles in 2014 with eight top-5 finishes, earning Minnesota Golf Association Junior Girls’ Player of the Year honors.

After an up-and-down freshman season at Michigan State University, Burnham shot 74-77—151 to qualify for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open last month at Windsong Farm and said sharpening her skills against players like Herrick and Klasse is a great way to prepare her for the biggest tournament of her career.

At only 19, Burnham isn’t new to competition at the national level. She’s advanced to the match play portion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (2012), U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship (2013) as well as the U.S. Women’s Amateur a year ago.

In 2013 she was one of three players to represent Minnesota at the U.S. Women’s State Team Championship.

Herrick is coming off of her second straight MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur win six days ago at Bunker Hills and was happy with her performance this weekend.

“I played fine, I just had a bunch of unforced errors,” Herrick said Sunday. “Standing in the middle of the fairway and making bogey isn’t going to cut it. It was a good match—I’m happy for Sarah, she’s a great player.

“I’m pleased with where my ball striking is at right now compared to where it was last year. I still have a lot of work to do, but I have a lot of positive things to take away.”