Smith Shoots 69 to Overtake Stewart After Two Rounds at MGA Women's Amateur

View full size image

By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  DULUTH, Minn. – In search of her first victory of the 2017 season, Kate Smith fired a 2-under par 69 to take a three-shot lead through 36 holes at the 2017 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship at Northland Country Club.

Alex Stewart, who led following the opening round Monday, carded a 4-over par 75 Tuesday to sit in second place at 146, while two-time winner and defending champion, Sarah Burnham, finished 36 holes of play in third place at 147.

“My ball striking has been really well this week—I think I hit 17 greens today, so you can’t complain about that,” Smith said after the second round Tuesday. “I made a lot of seven-footers that kept me in it today.

“I just need to keep doing what I did the last couple days. I’ve got my mom on the bag, so she’s been keeping me calm and I’m learning to love Northland and appreciate the views. I’m trying to stay consistent and away from the big numbers.”

Beginning her second round at the 10th tee Tuesday, Smith started quickly by drilling her birdie chance from 30 feet and would settle into a groove to play even par over the next five holes to remain at 2-over for the championship.

“I think [No. 10] is the toughest hole on the course so I was trying to hit the green and two-putt but made a 30-foot slider. That gave me some good vibes early by birdying that tough hole,” Smith said.

Pushing her drive right of the 16th fairway, Smith left her approach short-right of the green, but pitched inside of five feet to save par and remain at 1-under for the day. On the ensuing hole, Smith stuck her tee shot inside of five feet at the 150-yard 17th, converting birdie and would turn at 1-over for the championship.

Smith’s consistent play carried over to her final nine Tuesday, stringing together six consecutive pars before failing to get up-and-down for par at the seventh, dropping back to 2-over for the championship.

She bounced right back by nearly sinking her chip for eagle from behind the green at the par-5, tapping in to shoot a second-round 69 and take a three-stroke advantage to the final round.

“I was a little nervous on 10 and I was thinking anything under par is a good score out here. I like the front a little more than the back and thought I could pick up a couple birdies. I was looking for that bogey-free round, but picked up a bogey at [No. 7].

“You’ve got to think a lot more on these greens, so I’ve been taking a lot more time and it’s been paying off.”

Smith etched her name in Minnesota golf history books last June by becoming the only player to win five consecutive Class AA individual state titles. Her most recent victory came at the 2016 Resorters Championship at Alexandria Golf Club.

She won two individual titles at the MGA Team Championship (2012, 2013), with one team victory in 2013.

Following her storied high school career, Smith began her freshman season at the University of Nebraska last fall and notched four top-10 finishes and seven top-25 finishes to begin her collegiate career. She claimed a school record for scoring average for the Cornhuskers this spring with a 73.90 average in 11 events.

The soon-to-be sophomore Art major was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for Oct. 13, 2016.

Stewart rolled in three birdies over her first five holes to begin the championship Monday leading to a round of 71, but didn’t fare as well Tuesday starting from the 10th tee, taking bogey on the opening hole and added a second bogey at the par-5 16th to turn at 2-over for the tournament.

Carding a bogey at the first to fall to 3-over, Smith rebounded with a birdie at the fourth. A bogey at the fifth and double-bogey at the seventh sent Stewart to 5-over for the championship, but she would finish by converting her birdie look the final hole Tuesday to shoot 75.

“I thought my approach shots were pretty good today and I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities, including a couple within 10 feet, but I couldn’t make many putts today,” Stewart said after her round Tuesday. “I was stroking it well but I just left myself with some very tough reads and I had to play a little more conservatively.

“I thought I could get some birdies coming in, unfortunately I made a couple of errors out there. We have a lot of golf left—another 18 holes and I just need play another solid round of golf. It’s me against the course and I have a goal and I’m trying to accomplish that.”

Burnham will enter Wednesday’s final round four shots back of Smith at 147 after she carded a 3-over par 74 during the first round and came back with a round of 73 Tuesday.

Natalie Roth, a former high school teammate of Smith and co-medalist at the 2013 Class AA championship, posted a 78 to begin the championship Monday and bounced back with a 1-under par 70 to sit alone in fourth place at 148.

The 2017 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship concludes Wednesday with final-round tee times scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Northland Country Club.