Herrick and Klasse Win Second Straight MWPGA Four-Ball Championship

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  FOREST LAKE, Minn. – Olivia Herrick has won the Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association Four-Ball Championship five times in the last six years and she’s won with a different partner each time.

Herrick, Manitou Ridge Golf Club, teamed up with eight-time winner and recent Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer, Leigh Klasse, a year ago to win the championship by a stroke over Claudia Pilot and Brenda Williams at Valleywood Golf Course.

On Saturday, Herrick made it four consecutive titles and back-to-back wins with Klasse as the two fired a 4-under par 68 and edged Sarah Burnham and Raelyn Spears after a three-hole playoff.

“We just enjoy playing with each other,” Klasse said after the win Saturday. “We complement each other pretty well. I was pretty steady today and I think [Herrick] can make a putt from any place.”

Starting the round on the par-3 17th hole, Herrick and Klasse made par on the first four holes before a bogey at the third put them at 1-over on the day.

Herrick got the momentum rolling getting a long birdie to fall on the fifth to get the pair back to even before she made another birdie at the eighth to get her team to 1-under.

Klasse dropped her birdie opportunity on the ninth moving the two to 2-under and with another birdie at the 10th, the two got to 3-under.

A bogey at the 14th dropped Herrick and Klasse to 2-under but the two would finish on a high note as Herrick holed-out from 70 yards on the final hole for eagle to card a 68 and into a tie with Burnham and Spears.

Herrick’s drive on the par-5 16th landed near the cart path and hazard and hit a great second shot to set up the eagle knowing they needed some magic to catch Burnham and Spears who were at 4-under.

“It was 70 yards exactly and I thought I flipped under it a little and didn’t catch it and I didn’t think it was going to get there, but it went in,” Herrick said.

“She didn’t believe it went it, but I was yelling, ‘It went in,’” Klasse added.

Both twosomes made birdie on the 10th and 11th holes during the playoff before Klasse stepped up and rolled in her birdie chance on the 12th (third playoff hole) to secure the title for her and Lansing.

Asked if the pair will remain intact to attempt three straight titles next season, “I think so--we’ve got a pretty good thing going,” Herrick laughed.

Burnham, who just completed her freshman season at Michigan State University, and Spears played in the same group with Herrick and Klasse and parred the first five holes before making an eagle at the par-5 fourth hole to quickly move to 2-under par.

Burnham got the pair to 3-under with a birdie at the sixth, but the two gave back a stroke with a bogey at the seventh.

Spears, a junior at Providence Academy, rolled in back-to-back birdies at the ninth and tenth holes to improve the duo to 4-under as the two would make par on the final six holes to shoot 68.

The team of Claudia Pilot and Brenda Williams carded a 2-under par 70 Saturday to finish in third place in the Championship Flight.

Pilot has five MWPGA Four-Ball championships to her credit, while Williams won the event in 2001.

Dianne Johnson carded an ace on the 148-yard eighth hole using a 5-hybrid.



2015 MWPGA FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
TANNERS BROOK GOLF CLUB
FOREST LAKE, MINN.
5,332 YARDS, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
1. Olivia Herrick, Manitou Ridge GC/Leigh Klasse, Keller GC, 34-34—68
2. Sarah Burnham/Raelyn Spears, Rush Creek GC, 33-35—68
3. Claudia Pilot, Pines at Grandview/Brenda Williams, Pioneer Crk GC, 33-37—70


FIRST FLIGHT
1. Terri Fjosne, Pokegama GC/Renae Hultgren, Valleywood GC, 39-38—77
2. Christina Payton, Keller GC/Shelley Stepan, Manitou Ridge GC, 39-38—77
3. Sarah Qian/Elizabeth Moon, Bunker Hills GC, 40-39—79


SECOND FLIGHT
1. Joan Frie, Monticello CC/Sandra Lemke, EWGA, 40-41—81
2. Amy Anderson/Brenda Michaelson, Baker Nat’l GC, 47-37—84
3. Angie Johnson/Lola Heinrich, Spring Brook GC, 44-40—84


THIRD FLIGHT
1. Patrice Polta/Renee Kinney, Keller GC, 43-37—80
2. Dianne Johnson/ Pat Kuslich, Logger’s Trail GC, 41-42—83
3. Peggy Sontag/ Lynn Strand, Tanners Brook GC, 45-42—85


FOURTH FLIGHT
1. Peggy Hedback/Pat Riemersma, Bunker Hills GC, 43-43—86
2. Judy Anderson, Oak Glen GC/Ramona Rodriguez, Keller GC, 45-44—89
3. Jan Kiefner, Phalen Park GC/Karen Anderson, Keller GC, 44-45—89


FIFTH FLIGHT
1. Jean Solheim/Patricia Staples, Geneva GC, 45-43—88
2. Wendy Haisley/Mary Baker, Rum River Hills GC, 46-44—90
3. Carole Bidon, Prestwick GC/Sunwoo James, Bunker Hills GC, 44-46—90


SIXTH FLIGHT
1. Cindy Jorgenson/Sara Johnson, Rum River Hills GC, 46-46—92
2. Wendy Wilde/Wendy Ferguson, Hiawatha GC, 45-50—95
3. Betsy Dickman/Barbara Montealegre, Tanners Brook GC, 49-47—96