Neisen, Burnham Both Fall in First-Round Matches at US Women's APL

NESHANIC STATION, N.J. -- Minnesota's two stroke-play survivors both lost their matches on Wednesday, and there was a common thread to the narratives. Steffi Neisen and Sarah Burnham both lost to state high school champions. 

Utah champ Lea Garner birdied two of the first five holes to go 2 up on Neisen, a former New Prague High School star who recently completed her sophomore year at the University of Nebraska. Neisen fought back to square the match, but she lost the first four holes on the back nine.

That put her 5 down. She birdied the 530-yard, par-5 14th to cut the deficit by one, only to be closed out, 5&3, by Garner's par at the 15th. 

Burnham, who just finished her sophomore season at Wayzata High School, lost 3&2 to Ashlan Ramsey, the 2012 Georgia state Class AAA winner. Ramsey got ahead early, won the 509-yard, par-5 fifth with a birdie to go 2-up and the 368-yard, par-4 eighth with another birdie to go 3 up. After that, she just tried to maintain her lead.

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION

Women's Amateur Public Links Championship

At Neshanic Valley Golf Course

Par 72, 6,176 yards

Neshanic Station, N.J. 

Final stroke play results (the top 64 players advance to the match play portion of the tournament) 

1. Lisa McCloskey, Houston                      70-67--137

T2. Steffi Neisen, New Prague                 70-68--138

T2. Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J.           70-68--138

4. Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas         68-71--139

T20. Kim Kaufman, Clark, S.D.               72-72--144

T37. Sarah Burnham, Wayzata              73-73--146

Missed cut (149) 

T86. Briana Mao, Folsom, Calif.           79-73--152

T143. Sarah Roering, Glenwood             82-81--163