Herrick, Herzog, Kellar and Ledwein Among Top Seeds to Advance at MGA Women's Players' Championship

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  FARIBAULT, Minn. – Stephanie Herzog, Grace Kellar and Taylor Ledwein were among the top seeds to win their respective matches Monday to begin the 2018 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Players’ Championship at Faribault Golf Club.
 
Defending champion and top-seeded Olivia Herrick earned a first-round bye and will face Abby Parsons, who defeated Julia Hall, 2-up, to begin the tournament Monday.
 
Herzog, who recently completed her freshman season at the University of Iowa, faced Alexa Hanson during Monday’s opening round, and took a 2-up lead after nine holes thanks to back-to-back bogeys by Hanson at the eighth and ninth holes.
 
Increasing her lead to 3-up following a double-bogey by Hanson at the 11^th, Herzog took control of the match and carded birdie at the par-3 14^th to go up by four before closing out the match on the ensuing hole to claim a 5 and 3 victory.
 
Herzog will face University of Minnesota golfer Christine Portillo when the championship resumes Tuesday as Portillo edged Madeline Messin, 1-up, during her opening-round match Monday.
 
Portillo’s Gopher teammate Kellar trailed Sophie Hill by one with nine holes to play, but carded a pair of birdies to swing the match in her favor, and closed out the match at the 17^th hole for a 2 and 1 victory. Kellar will face Haley Tollette during the quarterfinal round Tuesday.
 
Taylor Ledwein advanced from her first-round match against Emily Kratz Monday, taking advantage of a bogey by Kratz at the second hole to take the early lead and would never look back as she closed out Kratz on the 15^th hole with a birdie to win 5 and 4.
 
Ledwein now faces Gopher Maggie Heggerston during the quarterfinal round Tuesday after Heggerston won three of her final five holes to defeat Kendall Olsen, 3 and 2, to advance.

The 2018 MGA Women's Players' Championship continues Tuesday when the quarterfinal round gets underway at 7:30 a.m. at Faribault Golf Club. 

 
 
2018 MGA WOMEN’S PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
FARIBAULT GOLF CLUB
FARIBAULT, MINN.
6,148 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
MONDAY’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
Olivia Herrick, Dellwood CC, bye
Abby Parsons, Crow River Golf Club, def. Julia Hall, Burl Oaks GC, 2-up
Stephanie Herzog, Mississippi Nat’l GC, def. Alexa Hanson, Olympic Hills GC, 5 and 3
Christine Portillo, Olympic Hills GC, def. Madeline Messin, Tanners Brook GC, 1-up
Grace Kellar, Olympic Hills GC, def. Sophie Hill, Owatonna CC, 2 and 1
Haley Tollette, Rum River Hills GC, def. Alayna Simonds, Minikahda Club, 4 and 2
Taylor Ledwein, New Prague GC, def. Emily Kratz, Interlachen CC, 5 and 4
Maggie Heggerston, Cragun’s Legacy Courses, def. Kendall Olsen, Interlachen CC, 3 and 2