Herzog and Yoemans Back in Front at MN State Junior Girls' in Faribault

July 10, 2017 | 2 min.


By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org

  
  FARIBAULT, Minn. – Helped by three birdies in a four-hole span on her back nine Monday, Leah Herzog carded a 2-under par 70 to pace the field at the 72nd Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship at Legacy Golf.

Herzog will take a slim one-stroke advantage over her teammate at Red Wing High School, Sophia Yoemans, into Tuesday’s final round just two days after both qualified for the Junior Girls’ PGA Championship next month in Missouri.

“I hit the ball really well and finally started converting my birdie putts on the back nine to shoot 33,” Herzog said Monday.

“I am excited to play with Sophia again. Last week we finished first and second at the PGA Championship. The week before at the Midwest Junior Am in Iowa City [Stephanie Herzog] and Sophia finished first and second. This week we are all playing good and in contention. So it’s great to be a golfer from Red Wing.”

Following a bogey at the par-4 fifth, Herzog bounced back with a birdie at the par-3 seventh to draw even, but would turn at 1-over with her second bogey of the round at the eighth.

Herzog played solid her last 10 holes to finish the opening round Monday, gettting back to even par after rolling in her birdie chance at the par-3 13th and fell below par for the first time after sinking her birdie look on the ensuing hole.

A final birdie at the 16th put Herzog at 70 and on top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to play.

Herzog finished 36 holes of regulation at 8-over par 152 Sunday and into a tie for second and prevailed in a playoff with Olivia Peterson and Megan Welch. 

Yoemans, who earned medalist honors by carding a 4-over par 148 Saturday at Bunker Hills Golf Club to punch her ticket to the Junior Girls’ PGA Championship, got off to a fabulous start Monday by carding three birdies over her first four holes and would turn at 3-under.

She fell to 1-under following bogeys at the 12th and 15th holes, but rebounded by converting birdie at the par-4 16th. A bogey on the next hole gave Yoemans an opening-round 71, one shot back of Herzog.

“I was really excited to get off to a great start birdying three of my first four holes,” Yoemans said after her round Monday. “I hit my irons good and could have been lower on the front nine. I didn't play quite as well on the back but I am still satisfied with my play.”

Alex Stone, an Alexandria, Minn., native fired a round of 1-over par 73 Monday to finish in third place, while Leah's older sister, Stephanie, will begin Tuesday’s final round in fourth place following a round of 74.

The 72nd Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship concludes Tuesday with the final round slated to begin at 7:30 a.m. at Legacy Golf.

 

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