Klasse, Herrick, Pilot and Moen Earn a Trip to U.S. Women's Mid-Am in Indiana

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  EDINA, Minn. – Leigh Klasse carded a 4-over par 76 Thursday at Edina Country Club to earn medalist honors and qualify for her 10th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

The qualifier was held to determine the field at this year’s championship, which will be played September 6-11, at Harbour Trees Golf Club in Noblesville, Ind.

Klasse, St. Anthony, Minn., got off to a very slow start Thursday as she made bogey on five of her first six holes before a birdie on the par-5 eighth hole righted the ship.

After making the turn at 4-over par 39, Klasse rolled in back-to-back birdie putts on the 11th and 12th holes to get back to 2-over on the day. Klasse slipped a bit on her final nine holes as she made bogey on 15 and 17 to finish her round at 4-over par 76.

“I didn’t start well—I was 4-over through five holes, but made a couple birdies on the back side and was 2-under for a while there and made a couple of bogeys coming in,” Klasse said Thursday. “I figured if I could shoot in the 70s that it would be a pretty good day.”

Klasse has qualified for the match play portion of the championship six times (’02, ’04, ’06, ’10-’12) but has not played in the tournament since 2012.

“I haven’t qualified for the last couple of years, so I’m excited and it feels good.”

Klasse advanced to the Round of 32 in 2007 and 2008, with her best finish coming in 2009 when she advanced to the Round of 16.

Olivia Herrick, Roseville, Minn., finished second Thursday carding a 5-over par 77 to advance to her second straight U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Herrick advanced to the Round of 32 at last year’s championship when she qualified in just her first year eligible.

Thursday, Herrick carded three straight pars before rolling in a birdie on the fourth to move to 1-under for the round.

She would make the turn at 1-over par 36 after bogeys at the fifth and eighth holes, and couldn’t seem to find a rhythm as she would make four more bogeys over the final nine holes to shoot 77.

“I was kind of shaky the whole day, but I hung in there even though I didn’t finish well on the back,” Herrick said. “It was a little nerve-wracking, but it’s about getting in and figuring it out when you get there.”

“I’m excited. I played in four [U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships] and the [Mid-Amateur] has a different vibe to it, so I feel a little more comfortable going into this one,” she said.

Shooting a 6-over par 78 to earn a spot in her 17th-career USGA event is Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame member Claudia Pilot. Pilot, Lake Shore, Minn., made seven pars with two bogeys on the opening nine holes to make the turn at 2-over par 37.

“Today went very well—I was very pleased,” Pilot said following her round. “I started out with five good pars and really felt like things were going well.”

Pilot made another bogey on the 10th to fall to 3-over par on the day before she was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the 13th hole when her caddie touched the green while showing her the line on her putt.

“My caddie touched the line of the putt and I said, ‘don’t touch—don’t touch,’ and then I got up and made my birdie. Afterwards I asked him if he had touched the grass and he said he did. He was a really nice kid and he’s been caddying here for years, but he didn’t quite understand that rule,” Pilot said.

Pilot said that despite the two-stroke penalty she still remained confident because she was playing well, but admitted she was a little rattled following the incident.

She made two bogeys over the final five holes to card a 78, and move on to her ninth mid-am championship.

“It’s harder to make the cut at [the Mid-Amateur Championship] now because the courses are longer, but I feel good about it and I’m playing really well,” Pilot said of qualifying for her 17th national event.”

Pilot qualified in 2007 and both 2010 and 2011. She advanced to match play in 2003 and 2009, and Pilot made the Round of 32 in 2005 and 2008, while moving on to the Round of 16 in 2002. Her best finish came in 2001, where she was a quarterfinalist.

Katelynn Hogenson, Ames, Iowa, grabbed the fourth qualifying position as she carded a 10-over par 82 while Tracy Moen, Edina, Minn. earned the fifth and final spot after shooting an 11-over par 83.

Eleanor Layton, Rochester, Minn., and Lynn Anderson, Hopkins, Minn., finished as first and second alternates, respectively.



U.S. WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING
EDINA COUNTRY CLUB
EDINA, MINN.
6,073 YARDS, PAR 72


THURSDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
QUALIFIERS
1. Leigh Klasse, St. Anthony, Minn., 39-37—76
2. Olivia Herrick, Roseville, Minn., 36-41—77
3. Claudia Pilot, Lake Shore, Minn., 37-41—78
4. Katelynn Hogenson, Ames, Iowa, 40-42—82
5. Tracy Moen, Edina, Minn., 40-43—83


ALTERNATES
T6. Eleanor Layton, Rochester, Minn., 40-44—84
T6. Lynn Anderson, Hopkins, Minn., 41-43—84


DID NOT QUALIFY
T8. Alison Hurley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 41-44—85
T8. Kathryn McKenzie, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 41-44—85
T8. Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn., 40-45—85
11. Kaytie Zimmerman, Plymouth, Minn., 39-47—86
12. Cindy Pallatino, Scottsdale, Ariz., 44-43—87
13. Andria Price, North Oaks, Minn., 45-43—88
14. Christine Dean, Hopkins, Minn., 46-43—89