Klasse, Pallatino and Pilot Punch Tickets to U.S. Senior Women's Amateur

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  WOODBURY, Minn. – Recent Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer, Leigh Klasse, carded a 1-under par 71 Thursday at Prestwick Golf Club to earn medalist honors and qualify for her fifth consecutive U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

The qualifier was held to determine the field at this year’s 53rd championship, which will be played September 13-18 at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J. Thursday, a field of 13 women were vying to three qualifying positions.

Klasse, St. Anthony, Minn., began her round with a string of pars before rolling in back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes to jump to 2-under for the day.

Klasse rolled in another pair of birdies on the seventh and eighth holes and would make the turn at 4-under.

The reigning four-time Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Player of the Year made five consecutive pars to start the back nine before dropping to 3-under with a bogey at the 15th.

A double-bogey on the 16th put Klasse back to 1-under, but she would keep her round together finishing, with a pair of pars to shoot 71.

“Today went well,” Klasse said. “I putted very well and on the front nine I had a lot of good, close opportunities and took advantage of them.”

A year after finishing as alternates at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both Klasse and Claudia Pilot earned a spot in this year’s championship, qualifying at Edina Country Club last month.

“Qualifying for the [U.S. Mid-Amateur] was a total surprise but [the U.S. Senior Amateur] was the tournament I really wanted to qualify for, so I’m very happy.”

Cindy Pallatino fired a round of 1-over par 73 to finish second Thursday and punch her ticket to the championship next month.

Pallatino, Scottsdale, Ariz., opened her round with a bogey on the third hole to fall to 1-over par, but rallied back later on the front nine as she carded back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to make the turn at 1-under.

She would struggle early on the back nine with a double-bogey on the 10th to slip to 1-over, and after a pair of bogeys at the 11th and 13th, fell to 3-over for the day.

Pallatino quickly swung the momentum back in her favor as she birdie two of the final three holes to shoot 73, earning a spot in the championship.

Pilot, Lake Shore, Minn., missed the championship last year, but after a round of 5-over par 77 Thursday, Pilot will make her fourth appearance at the senior women’s championship.

Pilot dipped into red numbers quickly with a birdie on the second hole, but dropped to 1-over with a double-bogey on the ensuing hole and struggled to get things going from there.

After a bogey at the ninth, Pilot made the turn at 2-over and would make three bogeys over her final nine holes to card a 5-over par 77.

“I didn’t play as well as [Klasse] and [Pallatino], but it was fun to watch. They made a mile of putts,” Pilot said of her playing partners. “When I bogeyed [No. 18] I didn’t think I even had a chance, but I played really steady.”

“I hit the ball awesome today, except for that last little wedge coming in, but I couldn’t make any putts. I birdied the second hole and that was it. I’m very excited, but I’m still a little surprised that I made it,” Pilot said.



53RD U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S AMATEUR SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
WOODBURY, MINN.
5,840, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
1. Leigh Klasse, St. Anthony, Minn., 32-39—71 (Qualifier)
2. Cindy Pallatino, Scottsdale, Ariz., 35-78—73 (Qualifier)
3. Claudia Pilot, Lake Shore, Minn., 38-39—77 (Qualifier)
4. Alison Hurley, Minnetonka, Minn., 38-41—79 (First Alternate)
5. Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn., 39-41—80 (Second Alternate)
T6. Carroll Dethrow, Nevada, Iowa, 42-43—85
T6. Mary Flynn, Eden Prairie, Minn., 41-44—85
T8. Deb Hayes, Vadnais Heights, Minn., 42-44—86
T8. Ann Bonner, Platteville, Wis., 43-43—86
T10. Cathy White, West St. Paul, Minn., 43-44—87
T10. Cherie Doyle Riesenberg, St. Paul, Minn., 42-45—87