Burnham Eyeing Second MWPGA State Public Links Title with 71 at Koronis Hills

  PAYNESVILLE, Minn. – In search of her second title in five years, Sarah Burnham carded an even par 71 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead at the 69th Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association State Public Links Championship at Koronis Hills Golf Club.

Haley Tollette and five-time winner and defending champion, Leigh Klasse, both fired rounds of 3-over par 74 Saturday to finish the opening round tied for second.

Burnham, Rush Creek Golf Club, missed the championship a year ago, qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.

During the opening round Saturday, Burnham got started by rolling in her birdie putt at the second hole before drawing even with a bogey at the fourth. She answered by taking advantage of the 416-yard par-5 sixth hole by making birdie, but dropped two shots with back-to-back bogeys to close out the front nine.

The 2015 Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year managed a solid back nine Saturday, with eight pars and one birdie to get back to even par and take the early 18-hole lead by three shots at 71.

Burnham won the 2012 championship at Pebble Creek Golf Club, erasing a five-shot lead by Olivia Herrick during the final round to force a playoff before prevailing to win her first MWPGA Public Links title.

Tollette, Rum River Hills Golf Club, carded back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth holes to quickly climb jump to 2-under for the day before a bogey at the ninth as she would lead the field after nine holes at 1-under.

Running into trouble on the back nine, Tollette bogeyed both the 10th and 11th hole before falling to 2-over, failing to get up-and-down at the par-5 14th. Tollette would finish her day in a tied for second at 74 with a bogey on the final hole.

Klasse, Keller Golf Club, won her first State Public Links title in 1995 and added her second two years later on her home course. She added back-to-back titles in 2006-07 before defeating Cassie Deeg in a playoff a year ago at Oak Glen Golf Course.

On Saturday, Klasse started quickly with a birdie at the second but fell back to even with a bogey at the par-4 fourth hole. A double-bogey at the ninth would put Klasse at 2-over for the championship before dropping to 3-over with a bogey at the tenth. Klasse would roll in eight consecutive par putts to finish the first round tied for second at 74.

McKenzie Swanson and three-time champion Olivia Herrick finished the opening round tied for fourth at 78, seven shots off the lead.

The 69th MWPGA State Public Links Championship concludes Sunday as the final round is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Koronis Hills Golf Club.