Yoemans and Herzog Set Tournament Bests, But Detroit Lakes Girls on Top of Class AA Tourney

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  JORDAN, Minn. – The Minnesota State High School girls’ golf tournament saw not one, but two records fall Tuesday as the Class AA tournament began at Ridges at Sand Creek. Red Wing High School’s Leah Herzog posted a 6-under par 66 to set a new mark briefly before teammate Sophia Yoemans fired a 9-under par 63 a short time later.
 
The depth of the roster from the Detroit Lakes girls proved vital Tuesday as the Lakers paced the field in the team competition, shooting a team score of 321 to take the opening round lead despite the blistering start by Red Wing’s top two players.
 
Detroit Lakes, winner of five of the last six team titles, will enter Wednesday’s final round with a five-stroke advantage over Marshall high school and an eight-stroke lead over Red Wing.
 
“It’s hard to chase down [Yoemans and Herzog], but our third and fourth players saved us,” Detroit Lakes head coach Kris Smith said following the first round Tuesday. “[Depth] with either win or lose us a championship. We’re going for three in a row and we’ll have to stub our toe tomorrow, but the last round of state—a lot of things have happened. We were even with nine holes to go with Lake City last year and won the championship. We could easily be in that position tomorrow.
 
“I think today we got off to a nervy start and we can bring it back. We’re in good shape, but still uncomfortable. I don’t think I need to say much tonight—this group is a really good group and really focused. The four of them are going to talk it out. Last year I tried to motivate them because we came from behind, but this year it’s go play and have fun.”
 
The Lakers were led by sophomore Anna Cihak, who played her opening nine at 1-under par before finishing the first round of competition in third place at even par, while fellow sophomore Shelby Busker sits in fourth place after posting a round of 3-over par 75 to open the championship Tuesday.
 
“I think all year we’ve had four girls that have scored for us consistently and we just had two girls that were a little high today, so I think we’re okay,” Detroit Lakes head coach Kris Smith said following the first round Tuesday. “Our No. 3 shoots even par—who does that? Our No. 2 girl probably shot the best round of the year and we know [No. 1 player Maddie Herzog] will have a better day tomorrow.”

Yoemans, the state’s top-ranked player entering the tournament this week, fired a career-best 67 earlier this season and started the championship Tuesday by rolling in six birdies over her front nine Tuesday before adding three more during the outward nine to post tournament-record 63, leading teammate Herzog by three shots ahead of Wednesday’s final round.
 
“Obviously 63 is pretty solid,” a jovial Yoemans said following her round Tuesday. “All the par-5’s here are pretty getable for me and I was hitting solid drives and was accurate with the long irons and hybrids, so that was helpful to get on the green and two-putt for par. My wedges were great and I left myself with some makeable birdie putts and knocked a few of those in. I was most happy with my iron play. There were a couple of pins where even though I didn’t hit great shots, I left it in the right spots—I had good misses.
 
“Tomorrow is going to be mostly mental focus because I know I can shoot that low, but you don’t want to be pressing and pushing the entire round thinking, ‘I have to make putts and I have to make birdie.’ I’m hitting the ball well right now, so I need to focus one shot at a time and keep hitting solid shots.”
 
Jumping out to a quick start Tuesday, Yoemans birdied her first two holes before converting a short birdie chance at the fifth to get to 3-under. She rolled in a 20-footer at the sixth and tapped in for birdie at the seventh to get to 5-under. Sticking her approach inside of five feet at the long, par-4 ninth, Yoemans converted another birdie look to move to 6-under.
 
“I was trying not to get too ahead of myself,” Yoemans said of turning in 6-under. “There are some holes on the back, like 12, 13 and 14, where you can put it in the water. You need to keep hitting solid shots.”
 
An easy two-putt birdie put the 2017 Class AAA individual champion at 7-under for the tournament and she would finish the opening round by sinking a pair of 15-footers at the 12^th and 18^th holes to card a bogey-free 63.
 
Sarah Burnham and Kenzie Neisen’s opening round of 67 at the 2014 Class AAA tournament set the mark for the lowest round in tournament history before Herzog’s round of 66 Tuesday.  
 
“I was hitting the ball pretty good and probably the most consistent I’ve putted all year,” Herzog said following her opening round Tuesday. “I made a lot of putts on the front nine and that kind of got me going and gave me momentum.
 
“The course played well for my game and I took one shot at a time and stuck to the process. I was trying not to worry about score or the outcome and to stay in the moment. I was pretty confident in my irons and off the tee was pretty consistent, too.”
 
Herzog rolled in a pair of long birdies to begin her round Tuesday and carded birdies on two of the final three holes to turn at 4-under par. Her lone blemish was a three-putt bogey at 13, but she would finish with a flurry, birdying her final three holes to sit three shots back of the lead in second place at 66.
 
The 2018 MSHSL Girls’ Class AA Golf Tournament concludes Wednesday with final-round tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Ridges at Sand Creek.
 
 
 
2018 MSHSL GIRLS CLASS AA STATE TOURNAMENT
RIDGES AT SAND CREEK
JORDAN, MINN.
5,483 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S TEAM RESULTS
1. Detroit Lakes – 321
2. Marshall – 327
3. Red Wing – 329
4. International Falls – 336
5. Visitation – 349
6. Breck – 356
7. Jordan – 362
8. Osakis – 393
 
 
TUESDAY’S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Sophia Yoemans, Red Wing, 30-33—63
2. Leah Herzog, Red Wing, 32-34—66
3. Anna Cihak, Detroit Lakes, 35-37—72
4. Shelby Busker, Detroit Lakes, 35-39—74
5. Ava Wallerich, Lake City, 37-38—75
6. Olivia Peterson, Marshall, 41-38—79
T7. Kaylee Gossen, Marshall, 37-43—80  
T7. Ally Tiedemann, Crookston, 38-42—80
T7. Madi McGinty, Minnewaska, 42-38—80  
T7. Jaycee Rhodes, Visitation, 39-41—80  
T7. Maddie Herzog, Detroit Lakes, 39-41—80
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: www.mshsl.org/mshsl/golfscores.asp?gender=Girls&class=AA