Klasse Shoots 73 in Search of Sixth MWPGA State Senior Public Links Title

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. – With five Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association State Senior Public Links titles to her credit, Leigh Klasse put herself in position to win her sixth trophy in seven years following her opening-round 73 Monday at Inver Wood Golf Course.

Klasse will have to contend with Brenda Williams and Lynn Anderson during Tuesday’s final round as both Williams and Anderson fired rounds of 2-over par 74 to finish one shot back.

“I thought I hit the ball well off the tee and I thought I putted well,” Klasse said following her opening round Monday. “I had a lot of two-putts and tap-ins for par so I had some good looks and some putts that could’ve gone in. I have to play the front nine better and I need to finish better tomorrow.”

Starting the opening round on the 10th tee, Klasse rolled seven consecutive pars before sticking her tee shot at the par-3 17th inside of two feet for a tap-in birdie and would turn at 1-under.

The five-time champion and Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer converted her birdie chance at the fourth to move to 2-under for the tournament before stumbling over the final five holes, carding three bogeys to shoot 73 and take a one-shot lead to the final round.

“I got out of position on the back,” Klasse said about her finish Monday. “I made a wrong club selection at [No. 5]; I didn’t hit enough club and left it in the bunker and didn’t get up-and-down. I started out just fine but didn’t hit the ball really well after that, but tomorrow is another day.”

Williams, who began her round on the 10th hole Monday, carded three consecutive bogeys beginning at the 14th hole to quickly fall to 3-over for the tournament, but answered by dropping her 18-foot birdie chance at the 18th from the rough behind the green.

Getting her birdie look from eight feet to fall at the par-4 second, Williams would get back to 1-over for the championship and carded one bogey over the final seven holes to finish in a tie for second place, one shot back.

“Today went pretty well—it’s a tough course because there are so many doglegs and a lot of hazards. If you can keep it in play you’ll be fine,” Williams said. “I missed a lot of birdie putts today.

“I’ve been hitting my irons a lot better this year,” she said. “My irons feel really good; I’m hitting them straight and really solid." 

Anderson began her day on the tenth tee with a birdie on the opening hole and would turn at 1-under following eight consecutive pars on her front nine.

Falling back to even with a bogey at the par-4 fourth, Anderson bounced back by sinking her birdie chance at the par-3 sixth but would finish the round with three straight bogeys to shoot 74.

The final round of the 2016 MWPGA State Senior Public Links Championship is scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Inver Wood Golf Course.