Deja Vu as Yoemans Leads Herzog by Three to Begin MN Girls' Junior PGA Championship

 
 
  MINNEWASKA, Minn. – Only a week removed from setting a new state high school scoring record by shooting 15-under par 129 at Ridges at Sand Creek, Sophia Yoemans posted the only round below par Tuesday to take the 18-hole lead at the 2018 Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship at Minnewaska Golf Club.
 
Yoemans fired a round of 1-under par 71 and will take a three-shot advantage over familiar foe and Red Wing High School teammate, Leah Herzog, to Wednesday’s final round.
 
Last week Herzog broke the Class AA tournament record by shooting a 6-under par 66 before Yoemans’ round of 63 set a new record one group later. Herzog would finish second individually, while Yoemans collected her second consecutive individual title.
 
On Tuesday Yoemans birdied the opening hole before stumbling with back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes. Rolling in her birdie chance at the fifth, Yoemans returned to even par, but would turn at plus-one following a bogey at the ninth.
 
Finding her footing on the back nine Tuesday, Yoemans carded a trio of birdies within a four-hole margin to jump to 2-under for the championship, but she would finish the opening round at 1-under thanks to a bogey at the 16^th.
 
Herzog got off to a quick start Tuesday with a pair of birdies over her first four holes but finished her outward nine with a bogey and a double to turn at 1-over. Carding a pair of bogeys at the 11^th and 12^th holes, Herzog fell to 3-over, but she would fight back by sinking her birdie look at the par-5 14^th to finish with a round of 2-over par 74.
 
Yoemans earned medalist honors a year ago, firing back-to-back rounds of 74 at Bunker Hills Golf Club, while Herzog and Megan Welch survived a playoff with Olivia Peterson to earn the final two qualifying spots to the national tournament where all three Minnesotans failed to make the cut.
 
With two qualifying spots on the line Wednesday, Alayna Eldred remains in contention in third place after a round of 3-over par 75, while Molly Stevens sits just five shots off the lead following her round of 76.
 
The 2018 Girls’ Junior PGA Championship will be played July 9-12^th at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.
 
 
 
2018 MN GIRLS’ JUNIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
MINNEWASKA GOLF CLUB
MINNEWASKA, MINN.
5,920 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
1. Sophia Yoemans, Red Wing, Minn., 37-34—71
2. Leah Herzog, Red Wing, Minn., 37-37—74
3. Alayna Eldred, Osakis, Minn., 38-37—75
4. Molly Stevens, Northfield, Minn., 40-36—76
5. Ananda Zhai, Woodbury, Minn., 38-39—77
T6. Isabella McCauley, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 38-40—78
T6. Joanna Kim, Edina, Minn., 38-40—78  
T6. Piper Hill, Medford, Minn., 39-39—78
9. Aayushi Sarkar, Woodbury, Minn., 40-39—79
10. Megan Munneke, Champlin, Minn., 41-39—80
 
 
For complete tournament results go to:  https://mnpgajr.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpgajr18/event/mnpgajr1829/contest/1/leaderboard.htm